News / Press Release
Gwanda demonstration today
19 Oct 2016 at 07:10hrs | Views
Gwanda Residents Association
At the residents public meeting which was held at Jahunda Hall on Friday the 14th of October 2016, amongst other resolutions taken by residents was that Gwanda residents were to collectively go on a demonstration on Wednesday 19 October 2016 to demand that ZINWA immediately removes prepaid meters that have been installed at the main reservoirs supplying the town with water and that ZINWA be demanded to hand over the water treatment plant to the Municipality of Gwanda as a matter of urgency.
Following the resolutions, the Gwanda Residents Association notified the Gwanda District Police the regulating authority of the residents' intention to demonstrate as provided for under section 25 of the Public Order Security Act.
Following the notice, the Police invited both the residents committee and council to a consultative meeting on the demonstration. It is disappointing that the very council we thought we were in this battle for got to the police and turned against us.
Council reported to the police that there was no need for a residents demonstration as they and ZINWA are already involved in very high level talks regards the hand over and take over of the plant and also on the issue of the prepaid meter. They claimed that by Tuesday next week the issue between council and ZINWA will be closed matter as the Mayor is already having meetings with the Minister of Local Government in Victoria Falls on the matter.
On the strength of that assurance by council, the police implored that it was no longer necessary for us the residents to go on a demonstration as dialogue was being held at a very high level and results expected by Tuesday next week.
The police further indicated that our notice which was exactly six days was short of the seven days notice provided by the POSA which renders the demonstration illegal if it was to go ahead. We tried to explain the urgency of the matter based on the ZINWA deadlines to start implementing upfront payment for water by Friday which they would not buy into.
Today the 18th of October at 14:00hrs on the eve of the demonstration we received a letter from the police stating that thy are not blessing the demonstration rendering it illegal on the basis of the above two factors. Further to that, the police indicated that they had gathered on oath information that some elements were preparing to hijack our perceived peaceful demonstration, turn it violent and burn properties.
In view of the above, Gwanda Residents Association would by means of this statement want to express its utmost disappointment firstly at the unfair bargaining by the Munipality Of Gwanda who we have had meetings with to discuss the crisis the town is facing yet they decided to hide it from us that they and ZINWA were actually very good bed fellows.
Secondly, we think that while the police are very well aware of the few elements who are out to hijack the residents genuine march for water, the entire population of Gwanda is deprived their right to openly express their grievances when it is prudent to nap those elements before they commit the acts of sabotage they are planning.
As the association representing the residents we perfectly know that it is very untrue for council to say that our water woes will be solved by Tuesday next week. What we know is that for certain ZINWA is not immediately going back on their prepaid meter and not easily letting go the pump station and so definitely the grace water that was supplied outside the prepaid meter will run out by the weekend and we are in for days of dry taps.
Now that council is definite on their good relations with ZINWA and assured of the best in the next few days, wait for them to make sure that there is no interruptions of water supply in any of those next few days due to their relationship with ZINWA.
Since we the residents are the immediate grass that suffers from all this we are not taking the matter lightly. Our following stand points remain in place:
1) That ZINWA must leave the Water Treatment Plant and hand it over to the Municipality Of Gwanda immediately and the two parties enter into an agreement how the ZINWA debt will be settled with ZINWA out of the the water administration system in Gwanda.
2) That well knowing of the catastrophe ahead for us as Gwanda Residents and Stakeholders, we will yet again push to exercise our right to collectively express our displeasure at the way our water supply is being handled and shall hold our peaceful demonstration on Friday 28th October 2016 this time with no consideration for any compromise and have since notified the police of way in advance.
3) That the previous resolution that Council should not pay any money to ZINWA for water until ZINWA hands over the pump station to council remains in place.
4) That the previous resolution that residents stop paying Council for water until ZINWA hands over the pump station to council remains in place.
5) That a letter inviting Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko to attend the Gwanda water impasse be urgently written to the Vice President through the office of the Matabeleland South Minister for Provincial Affairs.
6) That another letter with all the demands of the issues relating to Gwanda water challenges be written to the Member Of Parliament for Gwanda Central for him to take to Parliament to the attention of the Minister responsible for Water at the next Parliament question time and the Minister responds there to within the Parliament stipulated 14 days.
We may have lost the battle but certainly not the war which we shall not give up on until its won.
Presented by
Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo
Secretary General
Gwanda Residents Association
Email gwandaresidentsassociation@gmail.com
At the residents public meeting which was held at Jahunda Hall on Friday the 14th of October 2016, amongst other resolutions taken by residents was that Gwanda residents were to collectively go on a demonstration on Wednesday 19 October 2016 to demand that ZINWA immediately removes prepaid meters that have been installed at the main reservoirs supplying the town with water and that ZINWA be demanded to hand over the water treatment plant to the Municipality of Gwanda as a matter of urgency.
Following the resolutions, the Gwanda Residents Association notified the Gwanda District Police the regulating authority of the residents' intention to demonstrate as provided for under section 25 of the Public Order Security Act.
Following the notice, the Police invited both the residents committee and council to a consultative meeting on the demonstration. It is disappointing that the very council we thought we were in this battle for got to the police and turned against us.
Council reported to the police that there was no need for a residents demonstration as they and ZINWA are already involved in very high level talks regards the hand over and take over of the plant and also on the issue of the prepaid meter. They claimed that by Tuesday next week the issue between council and ZINWA will be closed matter as the Mayor is already having meetings with the Minister of Local Government in Victoria Falls on the matter.
On the strength of that assurance by council, the police implored that it was no longer necessary for us the residents to go on a demonstration as dialogue was being held at a very high level and results expected by Tuesday next week.
The police further indicated that our notice which was exactly six days was short of the seven days notice provided by the POSA which renders the demonstration illegal if it was to go ahead. We tried to explain the urgency of the matter based on the ZINWA deadlines to start implementing upfront payment for water by Friday which they would not buy into.
Today the 18th of October at 14:00hrs on the eve of the demonstration we received a letter from the police stating that thy are not blessing the demonstration rendering it illegal on the basis of the above two factors. Further to that, the police indicated that they had gathered on oath information that some elements were preparing to hijack our perceived peaceful demonstration, turn it violent and burn properties.
In view of the above, Gwanda Residents Association would by means of this statement want to express its utmost disappointment firstly at the unfair bargaining by the Munipality Of Gwanda who we have had meetings with to discuss the crisis the town is facing yet they decided to hide it from us that they and ZINWA were actually very good bed fellows.
Secondly, we think that while the police are very well aware of the few elements who are out to hijack the residents genuine march for water, the entire population of Gwanda is deprived their right to openly express their grievances when it is prudent to nap those elements before they commit the acts of sabotage they are planning.
As the association representing the residents we perfectly know that it is very untrue for council to say that our water woes will be solved by Tuesday next week. What we know is that for certain ZINWA is not immediately going back on their prepaid meter and not easily letting go the pump station and so definitely the grace water that was supplied outside the prepaid meter will run out by the weekend and we are in for days of dry taps.
Now that council is definite on their good relations with ZINWA and assured of the best in the next few days, wait for them to make sure that there is no interruptions of water supply in any of those next few days due to their relationship with ZINWA.
Since we the residents are the immediate grass that suffers from all this we are not taking the matter lightly. Our following stand points remain in place:
1) That ZINWA must leave the Water Treatment Plant and hand it over to the Municipality Of Gwanda immediately and the two parties enter into an agreement how the ZINWA debt will be settled with ZINWA out of the the water administration system in Gwanda.
2) That well knowing of the catastrophe ahead for us as Gwanda Residents and Stakeholders, we will yet again push to exercise our right to collectively express our displeasure at the way our water supply is being handled and shall hold our peaceful demonstration on Friday 28th October 2016 this time with no consideration for any compromise and have since notified the police of way in advance.
3) That the previous resolution that Council should not pay any money to ZINWA for water until ZINWA hands over the pump station to council remains in place.
4) That the previous resolution that residents stop paying Council for water until ZINWA hands over the pump station to council remains in place.
5) That a letter inviting Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko to attend the Gwanda water impasse be urgently written to the Vice President through the office of the Matabeleland South Minister for Provincial Affairs.
6) That another letter with all the demands of the issues relating to Gwanda water challenges be written to the Member Of Parliament for Gwanda Central for him to take to Parliament to the attention of the Minister responsible for Water at the next Parliament question time and the Minister responds there to within the Parliament stipulated 14 days.
We may have lost the battle but certainly not the war which we shall not give up on until its won.
Presented by
Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo
Secretary General
Gwanda Residents Association
Email gwandaresidentsassociation@gmail.com
Source - Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo
