Bulawayo City Council run by touts 'owindi' — Mathema

THE Governor of Bulawayo, Cain Mathema, yesterday said the city was suffering as a result of poor service delivery mainly because it was being run by councillors of little education whom he described as owindi.

Governor Mathema said this at the burial of Retired Major Watkins Kenny Ndhlovu at Bulawayo Provincial Heroes Acre in Nkulumane suburb.

Rtd Maj Ndhlovu died on Friday at United Bulawayo Hospitals after a short illness.

Governor Mathema said people should stop electing representatives who were uneducated and computer illiterate.

"Lingabofaka owindi ezikhundleni, abantu abangafundanga.

"Some of these councillors have Standard Six or a driver's licence as evidence that they can read or write.

"I urge you to stop electing into office people of such calibre. Education helps but if the economy of Bulawayo is in the hands of uneducated councillors like these, we will not go forward as a city," he said.

Governor Mathema said there were educated people in the city and paid tribute to Rtd Maj Ndhlovu, whom he said loved education.

"There are Senators that are not educated, but people like Rtd Maj Ndhlovu educated themselves, so that they could contribute to the development of the country," he said.

Rtd Maj Ndhlovu was an accountant.

Governor Mathema said dedicated cadres like Rtd Maj Ndhlovu liberated the country in order for Zimbabweans to own the means of production.

He blamed the MDC formations for the closure of factories in Bulawayo saying they were the ones that called for the imposition of illegal sanctions on the country.

"Let us call a spade a spade, the economy of Bulawayo is dead today because the MDC formations called for the imposition of economic sanctions on the country," Governor Mathema said.

Rtd Maj Ndhlovu was born on 27 February 1955 at Mpilo Central Hospital. He did his primary education at St Columba's, then a primary school, and also at Magwegwe Primary School.

From 1970 to 1973 he did his secondary education at City Tutorial College and a welding course at the same college in 1974.

In 1976 Rtd Maj Ndhlovu joined the liberation struggle and was sent to Mlungisi training camp in Kabwe, Zambia, to train as an infantry soldier under Zipra, the military wing of Zapu.

After training he operated in the then Nuanetsi between 1977 and 1979.

During the military operations he was elevated to the post of regional political commissar and then became a regional commander.

During the ceasefire he reported at Juliet Assembly point in Zezani, Beitbridge.

Rtd Maj Ndhlovu was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army on 24 June 1981 as a lieutenant and was posted to Four Brigade in Masvingo.

In 1984, he attended a selection course to join the parachute group and qualified.

In 1987, Rtd Major Ndhlovu stepped on an anti-personnel mine and lost his left leg.

He was reassigned to administrative and logistic appointments until the time of his retirement in 1995.

During his service in the army he acquired diplomas in the fields of accountancy and management.

Zanu-PF central committee member Molly Mpofu, sister to the wife of Rtd Maj Ndhlovu, described the death of the former freedom fighter as a blow to the family.

Rtd Maj Ndhlovu is survived by his wife Flora, two children Candy and Mkhulul, and three grandchildren.

In attendance was Zanu-PF central committee member and Bulawayo chairman Cde Isaac Dakamela, Alderman David Ndlovu, commander of One Infantry Brigade, Brigadier General Thomas Moyo and war veterans' national chairman Jabulani Sibanda.