…Residents accuse council of uneven distribution

Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru-Residents last week quizzed the distribution of 2021 Gweru Mayor’s cheer fund food hampers after it emerged that some vulnerable families were overlooked at the expense of the working class.
The concern was raised during an interactive meeting where residents were scrutinizing the state of service provision in all the city’s 18 wards.
The previous year, (2020) reportedly saw 35 learning institutions benefiting from the fund.
Senior Gweru resident Sekuru Tumbare said it was not clear how council distributed the 2021 Mayor’s Cheer fund food hampers as most vulnerable community members were left out.
“We continue to elect leaders who are divorced from us. We need people who understand where they come from.
“I failed to understand how the mayor’s cheer fund hampers were distributed. Our councillors must take to account each and every vulnerable member so that they can benefit from this programme.
“Last year we were shocked, a lot of vulnerable people were left out. Year in year out, we know people who ought to benefit from this fund. We live with them in our wards where we have the elderly, People with Disabilities, orphans, widows and widowers.
“The working class who earn a monthly salary benefitted from the fund at the expense of the poor. Let me say this is bad. If we trust our councillors to represent us, we ought to get favourable answers. This issue where people go about choosing each other on friendships and partisan grounds is not good. We need compilation of proper beneficiaries,” said Tumbare.
Munyati Development Strategies (MDS) a local think tank official Costain Mukanganiki said solutions to address most developmental issues affecting the community lie with residents.
He added that, it is good for residents to know the qualities office bearers who could address their areas of concern in their respective wards.
“What kind of a councillor do you need as a people or as a community? You said a good councillor should be a person who makes policies which improve the welfare of the community. Like on the issue of the Mayor’s fund, you highlighted, there is need to hold these policymakers to account and demand transparency in order to understand how the issue of inclusivity on the welfare of vulnerable members of the society works.
“Despite challenges which may arise while in office, policymakers must always craft policies that speak to areas of concerns, that are improvement of road infrastructure, water provision, refuse collection, health care, housing among other things. If council fails to provide the services we need, we can take litigation measures as it is our right as tax payers.
“For instance the provision of water is a constitutional right as enshrined in section 77 of the constitution which says Every person has the right to safe, clean and water as the state must take reasonable legislative and other measures within the limits of the resources available to it. Service delivery is a serious issue which enables the community to function properly.
“It becomes a serious challenge if we go for decades without the resuscitation of main water points such as our reservoirs and sewer networks. At least policies need to speak to improvements even with the little resources available on the table.” Mukanganiki said.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association director Conerlia Selipiwe said it is always important for both council and the residents to work collaboratively in building better communities.
Despite the Covid-19 wave that swept through the country last year, Gweru city managed to meet its target to raise goods worth US$ 50 000 for donation to underprivileged members of society under the fund.
“This year (2021), it is our aim to get US$ 50 000. As the mayor of Gweru, I kindly make a plea to all of you our honourable guests, to help through cash or kind so that we can assist underprivileged members of the society,” said the then Mayor Josiah Makombe during the official launch of the fund in November 2021.

…Paves way for Mnangagwa rally

Brighton Chiseva

MASVINGO – ZANU PF Masvingo province has postponed its watershed Central Committee (CC) elections amid President Mnangagwa’s visit to the province on (Saturday) October 8.
The elections were scheduled to be held on October 8 across all the 10 provinces in the country but Masvingo has since postponed its elections to a day later (Sunday October 9).
The elections are reportedly expected to widen the rift between former Provincial Chairperson and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution who is fronting President Mnangagwa faction and incumbent chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa who is alleged to be loyal to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
Mavhenyengwa confirmed the postponement of the elections saying they cannot hold them on a day the party’s president is coming though he said everything is in order for them to be conducted.
“We have moved our elections to Sunday because President Mnangagwa will be in the province in Chiredzi on Saturday, so we cannot conduct elections when the First Secretary of our party is here,” said Mavhenyengwa.
He also said six people from Masvingo have been disqualified though not in a position to disclose their names.
“Preparations for the elections are going on quite smoothly. Only six people out of the number that submitted their CVs will not contest for some different reasons which I am not sure of since the decisions were made at national level,” said Mavhenyengwa.
Sources however said some of the affected six are Masvingo urban ward 10 Councilor Sengerayi Manyanga, Petros Mutema and Provincial deputy secretary for education (women’s league) Mucharevei Chamisa from Masvingo district and Tawedzerwa Masase from Zaka.
Sources allege some had their CVs pulled off by the Provincial Secretary for commissariat Brian Munyoro who is believed to belong to Mavhenyengwa camp as factional wars take centre stage.
“Others like Manyanga’s CVs were pulled out by Munyoro and his team that is why they never reached the national level,” said one source.
contacted for comment, Munyoro said it was not his duty to talk to the media about candidates before refering questions to the provincial party office and the Provincial Chair.
“I dont comment on those issues, the issue of elections doesnt fall under my office, if you want anything go to the party office or call the chairperson,” said Munyoro
Big names in the province running for CC posts include Chadzamira and Edmund Mhere for Masvingo district, Bikita has Engelbert Rugeje and Davies Marapira in Zaka among others.
Sources said President Mnangagwa will be presiding over a ‘thank you rally’ at Uswaushava in Chiredzi North Constituency where he got the highest number of votes during 2018 elections.
Mnangagwa’s visit is expected to boost Chadzamira camp’s chances as most district team cards were divided on loyalty to the two.
“We have been requesting for the President to come to Masvingo. He failed to come for the rural poultry programme launch so he is covering up for that now because Masvingo wants to interact with him. He however decided to go to Chiredzi North since that is the constituency where he got more votes in the whole country,” said a source.
Masvingo province has been one of the breeding grounds for political upheaval in most political parties even as witnessed during the era of former president the late Robert Mugabe as factional wars heightened.