Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI-Town Council (CTC) recently urged the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) to maximize their participation on community development meetings towards the improvement of service delivery.
The call was made during the Citizen Duty Bearer engagement meeting dubbed ‘Devolution We Want’ recently held at St Apolos’ Anglican Church.
Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) a grouping of four apex organizations comprising of Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC), Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ) and Union for Development of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe (UDACIZA) recently carried out a duty bearers’ engagement meeting with various stakeholders in Chiredzi.
Speaking during the meeting, CTC vice chairperson Ropafadzo Makumire highlighted that there was need for church’s involvement on developmental programmes, as people respect church leaders more than politicians.
“I think there is need for the Church to take active roles in developmental meetings. We are even struggling to find someone to pray for us during these meetings, where the Church would have been invited but they would not be in attendance.
“The Church has an active role to play in the development of our town. Representatives should also attend budget consultative meetings where they would speak on behalf of the Church than waiting to complain after the budget has been approved,” said Makumire.
United Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association (UCHIRRA) Advocacy Officer Constance Chikumbo also highlighted that Church’s involvement in developmental meetings is very low.
“We are failing to have Church representatives in budget consultative meetings here in Chiredzi. I still remember Bishop Amuli was invited in writing to one budget consultative meeting but he never attended,” said Chikumbo.
Various issues are being raised in ZCC’s community engagement meetings including infrastructural development (Chilonga Bridge and road construction), drug and substance abuse, early child marriages, disability inclusion on developmental issues, birth and death registration (unnecessary confusion to attract bribes), recreational facilities, access to information for the marginalized and Service Delivery and high rates.
