News / Local
BCC receives 20 litter bins from a gay and lesbian pressure group
07 Dec 2011 at 06:26hrs | Views
BULAWAYO Mayor Councillor Thaba Moyo yesterday received a controversial donation of 20 litter bins from a gay and lesbian pressure group, sparking outrage from residents and civic organisations who said the development was culturally improper.
They said Clr Moyo should have turned down the donation.
The mayor received the 20 metal bins, all pink in colour with an inscription Sexual Rights Centre, which also happens to be the donor, at a brief function held in front of the Large City Hall.
Bulawayo United Residents Association secretary-general Mr Samuel Moyo condemned the MDC-T run council for accepting the donation, saying council should have consulted residents first.
"The issue of gays and lesbians is a very controversial national problem and council was therefore supposed to consult the people as accepting the donation could be misconstrued to mean the local authority subscribes to gay rights," said Mr Moyo.
He said probably there was nothing wrong with the gesture but for council to cover its back, it was supposed to consult residents so that there was a common position regarding the issue.
"Yes, the city fathers have the mandate to pick up litter, but if the very people who litter don't appreciate the source of the gesture then we have a problem," said Mr Moyo.
He said the major weakness of councillors was that they did not bother to consult the people on the controversial donation.
"The gesture in itself is noble but the decision to accept or reject the bins should have come from the people not councillors," said Mr Moyo.
The pro-MDC-T Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association could not comment on the donation by the gay and lesbians pressure group, saying "we do not have a laid down position on that issue".
MDC organising secretary Mr Qhubani Moyo said it was not a surprise that the MDC-T-run council accepted the donation of the 20 pink bins.
"To us this is not a surprise. Tsvangirai and his people have been advocating for gays and lesbians rights hence they accepted this donation with open hands," said Mr Moyo.
He said it was not a secret that his party was opposed to gays and lesbians.
"Tsvangirai and his party councillors should not bring gays here in Bulawayo. If they want to do it, they should go and do it at Harvest House (MDC-T headquarters), not here," said Mr Moyo.
He said Bulawayo people were capable of buying their own bins and there was no reason why they should rely on unacceptable organisations for assistance.
"Clearly, when it is election time the people of Bulawayo will punish these councillors for imposing on them foreign cultures and borrowed lifestyles," said Mr Moyo.
He said councillors should desist from imposing gays and lesbians on the people.
"Bulawayo people are cultured people and they will not accept such behaviour," said Mr Moyo.
Bulawayo Agenda director, Mr Thabani Nyoni, however, said the gesture was noble, given the fact that the local authority was facing serious operational challenges. "At this point whereby the local authority is facing challenges, such a donation is acceptable and it will go a long way in assisting the city council and I implore other civic organisations to follow suit," said Mr Nyoni.
He commended the Sexual Rights Centre for the donation of the bins.
In response, Clr Moyo said the local authority was more than happy to receive the bins.
"We are a council of all citizens despite race, colour or creed, and our donors are Bulawayo citizens and they reserve the right to donate to whoever they want to and we have also a right to accept donations from whoever we want," said Clr Moyo.
Asked on the security of the bins, Clr Moyo said anyone who vandalised or tampered with them would regret it.
"Let me say whoever vandalises those bins will be made to pay," said Clr Moyo.
He said the donation of the 20 bins was "not a joke, in fact it's something to be happy about". "I will talk to my health department so that they see to it that the bins are strategically positioned to deal with litter problems because we want to maintain this city as one of the cleanest," said Clr Moyo.
Commenting on their gesture of donating 20 pink bins to the local authority, Sexual Rights Centre representative Mr Mojalefa Mukhwelu said the donation was part of their mandate as a civic organisation.
Prime Minister and MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai is on record telling BCC that he supports gay rights and that they should be included in the new constitution.
They said Clr Moyo should have turned down the donation.
The mayor received the 20 metal bins, all pink in colour with an inscription Sexual Rights Centre, which also happens to be the donor, at a brief function held in front of the Large City Hall.
Bulawayo United Residents Association secretary-general Mr Samuel Moyo condemned the MDC-T run council for accepting the donation, saying council should have consulted residents first.
"The issue of gays and lesbians is a very controversial national problem and council was therefore supposed to consult the people as accepting the donation could be misconstrued to mean the local authority subscribes to gay rights," said Mr Moyo.
He said probably there was nothing wrong with the gesture but for council to cover its back, it was supposed to consult residents so that there was a common position regarding the issue.
"Yes, the city fathers have the mandate to pick up litter, but if the very people who litter don't appreciate the source of the gesture then we have a problem," said Mr Moyo.
He said the major weakness of councillors was that they did not bother to consult the people on the controversial donation.
"The gesture in itself is noble but the decision to accept or reject the bins should have come from the people not councillors," said Mr Moyo.
The pro-MDC-T Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association could not comment on the donation by the gay and lesbians pressure group, saying "we do not have a laid down position on that issue".
MDC organising secretary Mr Qhubani Moyo said it was not a surprise that the MDC-T-run council accepted the donation of the 20 pink bins.
"To us this is not a surprise. Tsvangirai and his people have been advocating for gays and lesbians rights hence they accepted this donation with open hands," said Mr Moyo.
He said it was not a secret that his party was opposed to gays and lesbians.
"Tsvangirai and his party councillors should not bring gays here in Bulawayo. If they want to do it, they should go and do it at Harvest House (MDC-T headquarters), not here," said Mr Moyo.
He said Bulawayo people were capable of buying their own bins and there was no reason why they should rely on unacceptable organisations for assistance.
"Clearly, when it is election time the people of Bulawayo will punish these councillors for imposing on them foreign cultures and borrowed lifestyles," said Mr Moyo.
He said councillors should desist from imposing gays and lesbians on the people.
"Bulawayo people are cultured people and they will not accept such behaviour," said Mr Moyo.
Bulawayo Agenda director, Mr Thabani Nyoni, however, said the gesture was noble, given the fact that the local authority was facing serious operational challenges. "At this point whereby the local authority is facing challenges, such a donation is acceptable and it will go a long way in assisting the city council and I implore other civic organisations to follow suit," said Mr Nyoni.
He commended the Sexual Rights Centre for the donation of the bins.
In response, Clr Moyo said the local authority was more than happy to receive the bins.
"We are a council of all citizens despite race, colour or creed, and our donors are Bulawayo citizens and they reserve the right to donate to whoever they want to and we have also a right to accept donations from whoever we want," said Clr Moyo.
Asked on the security of the bins, Clr Moyo said anyone who vandalised or tampered with them would regret it.
"Let me say whoever vandalises those bins will be made to pay," said Clr Moyo.
He said the donation of the 20 bins was "not a joke, in fact it's something to be happy about". "I will talk to my health department so that they see to it that the bins are strategically positioned to deal with litter problems because we want to maintain this city as one of the cleanest," said Clr Moyo.
Commenting on their gesture of donating 20 pink bins to the local authority, Sexual Rights Centre representative Mr Mojalefa Mukhwelu said the donation was part of their mandate as a civic organisation.
Prime Minister and MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai is on record telling BCC that he supports gay rights and that they should be included in the new constitution.
Source - chronicle
