Angry residents force MPs to end budget consultative meeting

MEMBERS of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development were yesterday forced to prematurely end a national budget consultative meeting in Gwanda after residents chased them away saying they were fed up with being called to attend "unproductive" meetings.

Residents said each year they are called to parliamentary budget indabas but nothing productive has come out of such meetings.

People who attended the meeting called for devolution of power so that the Matabeleland region would handle its own developmental issues. Within a few minutes after the meeting had started, disgruntled residents told MPs to adjourn and warned committee members against coming back unless previous grievances had been addressed.

Speaking during the meeting, Gwanda Residents' Association secretary Mr Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo said there were a number of outstanding projects in Matabeleland South and their completion was long overdue.

"We have lost confidence in you Parliamentarians because you promise us a lot during the campaign period but after that you don't deliver. Each year you come and hold budget consultative meetings here and we state our grievances but they are not addressed. Can you go and first deal with what we have highlighted in the past before you come back to hold more consultations," said Mr Fuzwayo.

"There are a number of outstanding projects within this province. The Mtshabezi Bridge has been in a poor state for many years, the Tuli-Manyange Dam project hasn't kicked off, there have been about four ground breaking ceremonies for the Gwanda-Maphisa and Gwanda-Manama Road projects but nothing has been done.

"We can't be repeating the same grievances each year without seeing results. It's a sign that these meetings are just a formality but nothing we say is taken seriously."

Mr Fuzwayo said a number of Government buildings have been under construction for several years while the Gwanda Magistrate's Court, Gwanda Prison and Gwanda Provincial Hospital project should have been completed by now. He said it remains a concern that other provinces and districts were recording development at the expense of others.

A resident who also spoke during the meeting, Mr Mthabisi Mpofu, said the Matabeleland region had been marginalised for long and hence they were calling for devolution of power. He said there was also a need for devolution of the Treasury office so that funds raised in Matabeleland could be directed towards developing the region.

Another resident, Ms Linda Mpofu, called for the meeting to be adjourned and said residents would not be a part of it.

"We have stated our grievances in the past. This meeting should be adjourned as we can't be repeating the same things we have been highlighting for the past 10 years," she said.

A member of the committee, Dr Matthew Nyashanu, who was chairing the indaba, adjourned the meeting and promised residents that their concerns would be taken to Parliament.

In an interview after the meeting, Dr Nyashanu said the committee was in the process of gathering citizens views for input into the 2019 national budget. He said meetings had been conducted in Kwekwe, Gweru, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and Hwange.

The team will hold a meeting in Beitbridge today.

Dr Nyashanu said there was a nationwide concern among residents about infrastructure development, shortage of health care centres, distances walked by children to schools and social services.