News / Local
'Bulawayo mayor lied,' says Gwanda residents
10 Sep 2015 at 03:05hrs | Views
GWANDA residents have blasted Bulawayo mayor Martin Moyo for "deliberately lying" that residents in the mining town had embraced the prepaid water meter project .
On Tuesday, Southern Eye quoted Moyo as saying Bulawayo city councillors would soon conduct a study tour of Gwanda Town Council to find out how the Matabeleland South provincial capital had implemented its prepaid water meter project.
He said the council rolled out the programme without resistance from residents and had realised a significant improvement in revenue inflows.
However, Gwanda Residents' Association spokesperson Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo yesterday dismissed Moyo's "scandalous" claims.
He said Moyo's claims risked exposing Gwanda "to our fellow residents' associations countrywide who now feel we have sold out on the solidarity of the urban residents of Zimbabwe on the topical prepaid water meters which we collectively believe to be against the general wishes of the people of Zimbabwe".
Instead, Fuzwayo said, only three prepaid water meter points are on trial and not the whole town.
"It is with great shock and disappointment that we, the residents of Gwanda, read an article in NewsDay of September 8, 2015, stating that the mayor of Bulawayo Councillor Martin Moyo claims that the Municipality of Gwanda has unrolled a successful prepaid water meter programme in the town," Fuzwayo said.
"According to the mayor's statement, the programme has been welcomed by us the residents of Gwanda and we are said to be happy about the programme.
"We are not really sure which Gwanda the mayor of Bulawayo is talking about. Except if there is another Gwanda somewhere, we will be forgiven for believing that the Gwanda he is talking about is our Gwanda.
"We find it extremely irresponsible for a renowned civic leader of Councillor Moyo's calibre to deliberately misinform the world about us on such a topical issue in order for him to push his anti-poor and unpopular programme.The residents of Gwanda have been involved in massive anti-prepaid water meter drives which are even still to be intensified."
Bulawayo has vowed to press ahead with the project despite resistance from residents, who have argued that commercialisation of water was a breach of their constitutional rights.
Council has indicated that it will soon advertise a tender for the supply of 1 500 prepaid water meters.
On Tuesday, Southern Eye quoted Moyo as saying Bulawayo city councillors would soon conduct a study tour of Gwanda Town Council to find out how the Matabeleland South provincial capital had implemented its prepaid water meter project.
He said the council rolled out the programme without resistance from residents and had realised a significant improvement in revenue inflows.
However, Gwanda Residents' Association spokesperson Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo yesterday dismissed Moyo's "scandalous" claims.
He said Moyo's claims risked exposing Gwanda "to our fellow residents' associations countrywide who now feel we have sold out on the solidarity of the urban residents of Zimbabwe on the topical prepaid water meters which we collectively believe to be against the general wishes of the people of Zimbabwe".
Instead, Fuzwayo said, only three prepaid water meter points are on trial and not the whole town.
"According to the mayor's statement, the programme has been welcomed by us the residents of Gwanda and we are said to be happy about the programme.
"We are not really sure which Gwanda the mayor of Bulawayo is talking about. Except if there is another Gwanda somewhere, we will be forgiven for believing that the Gwanda he is talking about is our Gwanda.
"We find it extremely irresponsible for a renowned civic leader of Councillor Moyo's calibre to deliberately misinform the world about us on such a topical issue in order for him to push his anti-poor and unpopular programme.The residents of Gwanda have been involved in massive anti-prepaid water meter drives which are even still to be intensified."
Bulawayo has vowed to press ahead with the project despite resistance from residents, who have argued that commercialisation of water was a breach of their constitutional rights.
Council has indicated that it will soon advertise a tender for the supply of 1 500 prepaid water meters.
Source - Southern Eye
