News / Regional
Statement by the Gwanda Residents Association on water and housing crisis in the town
26 Feb 2015 at 08:55hrs | Views
On Saturday 21 February 2015, the Municipality of Gwanda invited residents to a public meeting purportedly to discuss the water crisis faced by the town for the last 18 months.
We would like to start by thanking the few residents who saw it prudent that they attend this meeting and like to urge all the residents of the town to attend any such future meetings as they are for the good of the residents and the development of the town. We would also like to thank Council for convening the meeting as this is a step in the right direction towards collective governance of our town well in line with Chapter 14 of our new constitution. We would also like to applaud the residents who contributed to the deliberations and expressed their concerns in the most constructive and progressive way possible.
However, as Residents Representation, we noted a few concerns from both the process and outcome of the meeting.
Firstly, the meeting due to the nature of its call was highly expected to come out with a progressive way forward and lasting solution to address the water pandemic in the town but sadly no feasible way forward or solution was achieved from the meeting.
Over the years, it has been common knowledge spread by council itself, that the town was faced with a water crisis as a result of strained relations between council and ZINWA with ZINWA identified as the main culprit in that regard. It was therefore a shocker to the residents when the Mayor came out to absolve ZINWA of the blame for the water crisis and instead throwing the blame at the residents and the Water Affairs parent Ministry.
The sudden turn of the tide suggests that the town is in the crisis because the general residents are not paying their water bills, which makes it difficult for ZINWA to provide adequate water to the town. The Association has however, ably established contrary to Council position, that the general residents of the town despite the huge unemployment and harsh economic conditions they are faced with, are indeed battling through and paying the bulk of their dues. It is fact that 90% of the council debt on water and other services is not due from the general residents but from the various government departments and the commercial sector. We view the sudden accusation of the residents as the main culprits in the debt owed to ZINWA as nothing but an unfortunate scapegoat excuse by council to throw the blame on the weaker and most vulnerable of the parties involved in the problem.
Rightfully so, the meeting was advised as has been the case over the years, that the ultimate solution to the water problem is to have ZINWA hand over the water treatment plant to Council. Difficult as it may be to understand, Council advised residents that this pertinent move is being delayed by the Minister responsible for water supplies Hon Saviour Kasukuwere. The residents were made to believe that the Honourable Minister rejected a recommendation he found in place that Gwanda was ready and capable to run the water treatment plant from ZINWA saying that he would like to make his own research and findings. This has left us as residents confused as to how a government recently elected on the basis of a pro poor manifesto can in the same regard turn around and allow a situation which exposes the poor to the difficulties that the generality of the residency of Gwanda are going through.
The Association has as an immediate way forward added to its 2015 strategic plan the "Pay your bills" campaign which will be delivered to the residents to encourage ALL residents to work towards payment of their bills so that we have a better standing in engaging council. The Association will further extend this exercise to tackle head on all the government departments and commercial undertakings which are not settling their bills with council to make sure that council has funds to provide us with the much needed services.
Further to that we would like to state it to council that the settlement of civic dues is retrospect to value for the money paid. It is unfortunate that where as council wants to make the residents believe that services can only be improved or provided if residents pay, we the residents stand at a point where we say we cannot pay for a service which is not being provided. We would like to categorically state that while we go out to settle our bills with council particularly the water bills, we will not be under any obligation to pay for non available services like public lighting or poor refuse collection until council has proven to us serious commitment towards providing those services.
The Association has also taken a stance that with immediate effect we will be approaching directly the Minister response for Water Affairs Hon Kasukuwere to seek his side of the accusation that his office is responsible for the delay in ZINWA handing over the water treatment plant to Council thereby ensuring reliable provision of water to the people of Gwanda. We will seek to understand how and why, if true, the Minister rejected a report made by engineers seconded to assess the preparedness of Gwanda to run its water affairs by the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe. As far as we are advised the report was made by engineers from all the other major cities in the country that are already administering their own water affairs and approved by the last Minister in charge for Water Affairs Hon Samuel Siphepha Nkomo. We were further advised that ZINWA and Council were already in the process of finalising the handover of the plant only to be stalled by the Minister's directive, of which we need clarity on.
Secondly, it is with great regret that Council reported in the meeting that a resolution has been passed at Council that in the process of building new houses under the Jahunda Redevelopment Program, residents occupying the old One Room houses due for demolition will be housed in council storerooms at MaNkomo Beer Garden. This arrangement besides being very unfortunate is the most absurd arrangement that can be expected from a council in this day and age.
The current phase of the Jahunda Redevelopment Program is nothing new. The process has been ongoing for years now and no such absurd move has ever been hinted before. The process has always been clear that new houses are built and people moved into the new houses before their old ones are demolished. It is disappointing that council does report having completed several new housing units under the program and instead of moving families resident in the units due for demolition, council prefers to bring in new occupants to the completed houses and see it fit to house people in a beer hall. What is further disturbing is that, the people that are earmarked to go and reside in the beer hall are mostly very old people most of whom are taking care of orphans and the sick. These people are expected to expose young children to the ills of drunkards and all sorts of mongers who patron the town's largest beer hall.
The Association views this move as yet again another move by council to take advantage of the poorest of our community and most vulnerable who they put under their mercy knowing they will not be able to resist the move especially enticed with prospect of eventually living in a new house. We would like to advise council and all concerned, that the Residents Association will not take this move lying down and will go flat out to make the residents aware that they deserve better than the treatment council is exposing them to. The Association will without prejudice make sure that this very absurd move by council does not come to fruition.
Inserted by Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo Spokesperson of the Gwanda Residents Association. Gwanda Residents Association can be reached at gwandaresidentsassociation@gmail.com or via Facebook.
We would like to start by thanking the few residents who saw it prudent that they attend this meeting and like to urge all the residents of the town to attend any such future meetings as they are for the good of the residents and the development of the town. We would also like to thank Council for convening the meeting as this is a step in the right direction towards collective governance of our town well in line with Chapter 14 of our new constitution. We would also like to applaud the residents who contributed to the deliberations and expressed their concerns in the most constructive and progressive way possible.
However, as Residents Representation, we noted a few concerns from both the process and outcome of the meeting.
Firstly, the meeting due to the nature of its call was highly expected to come out with a progressive way forward and lasting solution to address the water pandemic in the town but sadly no feasible way forward or solution was achieved from the meeting.
Over the years, it has been common knowledge spread by council itself, that the town was faced with a water crisis as a result of strained relations between council and ZINWA with ZINWA identified as the main culprit in that regard. It was therefore a shocker to the residents when the Mayor came out to absolve ZINWA of the blame for the water crisis and instead throwing the blame at the residents and the Water Affairs parent Ministry.
The sudden turn of the tide suggests that the town is in the crisis because the general residents are not paying their water bills, which makes it difficult for ZINWA to provide adequate water to the town. The Association has however, ably established contrary to Council position, that the general residents of the town despite the huge unemployment and harsh economic conditions they are faced with, are indeed battling through and paying the bulk of their dues. It is fact that 90% of the council debt on water and other services is not due from the general residents but from the various government departments and the commercial sector. We view the sudden accusation of the residents as the main culprits in the debt owed to ZINWA as nothing but an unfortunate scapegoat excuse by council to throw the blame on the weaker and most vulnerable of the parties involved in the problem.
Rightfully so, the meeting was advised as has been the case over the years, that the ultimate solution to the water problem is to have ZINWA hand over the water treatment plant to Council. Difficult as it may be to understand, Council advised residents that this pertinent move is being delayed by the Minister responsible for water supplies Hon Saviour Kasukuwere. The residents were made to believe that the Honourable Minister rejected a recommendation he found in place that Gwanda was ready and capable to run the water treatment plant from ZINWA saying that he would like to make his own research and findings. This has left us as residents confused as to how a government recently elected on the basis of a pro poor manifesto can in the same regard turn around and allow a situation which exposes the poor to the difficulties that the generality of the residency of Gwanda are going through.
The Association has as an immediate way forward added to its 2015 strategic plan the "Pay your bills" campaign which will be delivered to the residents to encourage ALL residents to work towards payment of their bills so that we have a better standing in engaging council. The Association will further extend this exercise to tackle head on all the government departments and commercial undertakings which are not settling their bills with council to make sure that council has funds to provide us with the much needed services.
Further to that we would like to state it to council that the settlement of civic dues is retrospect to value for the money paid. It is unfortunate that where as council wants to make the residents believe that services can only be improved or provided if residents pay, we the residents stand at a point where we say we cannot pay for a service which is not being provided. We would like to categorically state that while we go out to settle our bills with council particularly the water bills, we will not be under any obligation to pay for non available services like public lighting or poor refuse collection until council has proven to us serious commitment towards providing those services.
The Association has also taken a stance that with immediate effect we will be approaching directly the Minister response for Water Affairs Hon Kasukuwere to seek his side of the accusation that his office is responsible for the delay in ZINWA handing over the water treatment plant to Council thereby ensuring reliable provision of water to the people of Gwanda. We will seek to understand how and why, if true, the Minister rejected a report made by engineers seconded to assess the preparedness of Gwanda to run its water affairs by the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe. As far as we are advised the report was made by engineers from all the other major cities in the country that are already administering their own water affairs and approved by the last Minister in charge for Water Affairs Hon Samuel Siphepha Nkomo. We were further advised that ZINWA and Council were already in the process of finalising the handover of the plant only to be stalled by the Minister's directive, of which we need clarity on.
Secondly, it is with great regret that Council reported in the meeting that a resolution has been passed at Council that in the process of building new houses under the Jahunda Redevelopment Program, residents occupying the old One Room houses due for demolition will be housed in council storerooms at MaNkomo Beer Garden. This arrangement besides being very unfortunate is the most absurd arrangement that can be expected from a council in this day and age.
The current phase of the Jahunda Redevelopment Program is nothing new. The process has been ongoing for years now and no such absurd move has ever been hinted before. The process has always been clear that new houses are built and people moved into the new houses before their old ones are demolished. It is disappointing that council does report having completed several new housing units under the program and instead of moving families resident in the units due for demolition, council prefers to bring in new occupants to the completed houses and see it fit to house people in a beer hall. What is further disturbing is that, the people that are earmarked to go and reside in the beer hall are mostly very old people most of whom are taking care of orphans and the sick. These people are expected to expose young children to the ills of drunkards and all sorts of mongers who patron the town's largest beer hall.
The Association views this move as yet again another move by council to take advantage of the poorest of our community and most vulnerable who they put under their mercy knowing they will not be able to resist the move especially enticed with prospect of eventually living in a new house. We would like to advise council and all concerned, that the Residents Association will not take this move lying down and will go flat out to make the residents aware that they deserve better than the treatment council is exposing them to. The Association will without prejudice make sure that this very absurd move by council does not come to fruition.
Inserted by Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo Spokesperson of the Gwanda Residents Association. Gwanda Residents Association can be reached at gwandaresidentsassociation@gmail.com or via Facebook.
Source - Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo Spokesperson Gwanda Residents Association
