Gwanda Residents Association finally shapes up

After years of numerous trial and errors Gwanda residents seem to have finally made up their minds to come up with a recognisable Residents Association.

After several calls and failed initiatives by residents and other stakeholders of the troubled mining town, residents finally met on Saturday to come up with a way forward to establish the long overdue voice and eye of the residents. The initiative has had to come through the hard working and pro people Member of Parliament for Gwanda Central Mr Edison Gumbo. In a recent Gwanda Agenda Dialogue at Gwanda Hotel, Mr Gumbo urged residents to seriously consider establishing an all stakeholders residents association that would work as the voice of the people in all sectors of governance and development. He pledged to work very closely with the residents for the development of the town and for residents to monitor and assist him in his work in the constituency.

The meeting was therefore convened by the MPs Secretary Mr Farai Mpofu on behalf of the legislature in close consultation with other residents groupings that were already being tried by residents in the town. There were already about three other residents associations that were being set up in the town and the spear headers of the groups all agreed to drop their efforts and focus on building a single association for the small town.

In the meeting an interim committee to run until end of April 2014 was set up. The interim committee was tasked to mobilise residents and stakeholders in the town to be part of the association. The committee must also within that time build ward residents committees in all the 10 wards of the Municipal area. Also within the same period the interim committee is expected to come up with constitution for the association to be adopted at the association's first general meeting at the end of April. A substantive committee which will register the Association will be elected in that first General meeting as per provisions of the adopted constitution.

Mr Gilbert Dube a lecturer at Joshua Mqabuko Polytechnic was elected as the Interim Chairman of the Association. His Deputy will be Mr Obert Nkomo a senior resident of the town who was one of the people spear heading the formation of one of the dismantled associations. Mrs Sihle Patience Senderayi also an employee of JM Polytechnic was elected as Interim Secretary while Mr Farai Mpofu who runs the Gwanda Central Constituency Parliamentary Office will be the organising secretary. Mr Jaheni Nxumalo a radiographer at Gwanda Provincial Hospital was elected to be the Treasurer while Mr Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo a local farmer was elected to be the Secretary for Information and Public Relations. Mr Nkululeko Khoza an educationist and Ms Sithabile Dube a health practitioner were elected as committee members in the interim committee.

Speaking to this reporter over the phone, Mr Maduma Fuzwayo stated that the residents were excited that finally concrete measures are being put in place by the community of Gwanda to set up the long awaited Residents Association. "At long last the people of Gwanda have shown real commitment to getting their voices heard by their representatives in governance and involve themself directly in the running of the town. It is our hope and that this time around everyone in the town will rally behind this initiative." Said Mr Fuzwayo.

"What really excites more is that the residents agreed to rise above all their different affiliation and identified themselves as residents of Gwanda first and showed willingness to work for a collective development of the town". He added. "We want to thank the Hon MP, Mr Gumbo for expressing his willingness to work with the Association and we will soon be approaching our local councillors and the municipality and other stakeholders like churches, government departments, NGOs, political parties and all stakeholders in the town to try nd bring them to work with the Residents Association." Said Mr Fuzwayo in conclusion.