Opinion / Letters
Open Letter to Mvurwi Town Council
14 Jun 2017 at 19:52hrs | Views
Open Letter to E.M.A., the Chairman and the Town Secretary, Mvurwi Town Council from the Mvurwi Residents and Ratepayers Association
On 27 January 2017, a 5 year old boy drowned in a deep open area where gravel was being taken from to service roads in Rusununguko high density suburbs Mvurwi in the early 2000
Apparently,this place was left open for 15 0r more years to date.
The residents of Mvurwi have been advocating for the refilling of this open space for some years, but nothing was done. Four children have been rescued from drowning over the past years, but this 5th one was unlucky this time.
At one of the meeting held in Rusununguko,the councillor Vincent Murengwa told the residents "GRADER HARIUYE ZVOKUMHANYA", "THE GRADER WILL NOT COME URGENTLY" to fill this open space, and this has been true to his words.
The Residents Association, wrote a complaint last year in October when two vehicles fell into unmarked drainage trenches, one resident has lost five teeth after falling into the drainage trench.
The letter was not responded ,when the child drowned, we again wrote to Mrs. Sheri Nyakudya the Town Secretary about the issue, again the letter has been ignored. a So, we approached Environmental Management Agency EMA (bluffhill) early February 2017,we followed up our letter in early May as there was no response.E.M.A.dispatched its official from Bindura on the 10th of May, 2017.
Members of the Residents Association showed him the spot where the child drowned, and other dangerous open flooded pits at Kurai residential area and another at Direct aid school which was dug by the engineer.
According to the E.M.A. official the two pits at Kurai were to be fenced off by the 12th of May,and the open deep pit/area in Rusununguko, by the 18th of May 2017,should have been completely refilled.
Council, put a few loads of mining rubbles, levelled them, put around danger warning tape around the area, and that is that so far.
When the deadline was not met, we notified the Bindura E.M.A. official who said they were opting for a fine. Infact, E.M.A. are not communicating with us as complainants.
We hope that; (a)The red and white warning tape will stop or prevent the area from flooding again;
(b)Will prevent children or keep off children from drowning
(c)Will prevent children from accessing the area
(d)Prevent or stop anyone to come to this death pool.
Both council and E.M.A., have simply brushed aside the issue of this fatal open place which floods and stays so for more than 6 months each year.
Additionally,this place is near houses Life is going on,are they waiting for other victims so as to act?Is this an issue for E.M.A, to tackle or another department else, and which one?
Or does the council need a court order to act? Or simply,is it because the town secretary and the town board chairman,have no small children for them to care at all?OR,money is more valuable than human life to our council officials and other powers that may be there? LETS NOT CONCENTRATE ON CLEANNLINESS ALONE BUT ALSO ON FATAL AND DANGEROUS PLACES
H.Matare
Secretary
Mvurwi Residents and Ratepayers Association.
On 27 January 2017, a 5 year old boy drowned in a deep open area where gravel was being taken from to service roads in Rusununguko high density suburbs Mvurwi in the early 2000
Apparently,this place was left open for 15 0r more years to date.
The residents of Mvurwi have been advocating for the refilling of this open space for some years, but nothing was done. Four children have been rescued from drowning over the past years, but this 5th one was unlucky this time.
At one of the meeting held in Rusununguko,the councillor Vincent Murengwa told the residents "GRADER HARIUYE ZVOKUMHANYA", "THE GRADER WILL NOT COME URGENTLY" to fill this open space, and this has been true to his words.
The Residents Association, wrote a complaint last year in October when two vehicles fell into unmarked drainage trenches, one resident has lost five teeth after falling into the drainage trench.
The letter was not responded ,when the child drowned, we again wrote to Mrs. Sheri Nyakudya the Town Secretary about the issue, again the letter has been ignored. a So, we approached Environmental Management Agency EMA (bluffhill) early February 2017,we followed up our letter in early May as there was no response.E.M.A.dispatched its official from Bindura on the 10th of May, 2017.
Members of the Residents Association showed him the spot where the child drowned, and other dangerous open flooded pits at Kurai residential area and another at Direct aid school which was dug by the engineer.
According to the E.M.A. official the two pits at Kurai were to be fenced off by the 12th of May,and the open deep pit/area in Rusununguko, by the 18th of May 2017,should have been completely refilled.
When the deadline was not met, we notified the Bindura E.M.A. official who said they were opting for a fine. Infact, E.M.A. are not communicating with us as complainants.
We hope that; (a)The red and white warning tape will stop or prevent the area from flooding again;
(b)Will prevent children or keep off children from drowning
(c)Will prevent children from accessing the area
(d)Prevent or stop anyone to come to this death pool.
Both council and E.M.A., have simply brushed aside the issue of this fatal open place which floods and stays so for more than 6 months each year.
Additionally,this place is near houses Life is going on,are they waiting for other victims so as to act?Is this an issue for E.M.A, to tackle or another department else, and which one?
Or does the council need a court order to act? Or simply,is it because the town secretary and the town board chairman,have no small children for them to care at all?OR,money is more valuable than human life to our council officials and other powers that may be there? LETS NOT CONCENTRATE ON CLEANNLINESS ALONE BUT ALSO ON FATAL AND DANGEROUS PLACES
H.Matare
Secretary
Mvurwi Residents and Ratepayers Association.
Source - H.Matare
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