Alert – BPRA Past Weekend Activities Update (17 & 18 May 2014)

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) this past weekend (17 & 18 May 2014) held five consultative meetings in Bulawayo to provide residents in different wards with an opportunity to meet with their councillors, Members of Parliament and other public officials to discuss critical issues affecting their lives. The meetings were held in Nkulumane constituency, Nkulumane (ward 20), Pumula (ward 17), Emganwini (ward 26) and Entumbane (ward 10). Issues discussed included crime and security, the introduction of prepaid water meters, development within the wards, refuse collection and cleanliness, and various other service delivery issues. The major themes dominating the meetings were as follows:

•         Police Address Residents on Crime

Crime took centre stage at the meeting held in Nkulumane (ward 20) where a spate of robberies, murders and rapes have occurred this year. Senior police officers in the community, including the officer commanding Nkulumane were present at the meeting. The police highlighted that they had increased patrols as a means to curb rampant crime in the area. They said they were conducting random searches on people found loitering at night and arresting those found with weapons or without identity documents. Police urged members of the community to also contribute in the fight against crime ad noted that the increase in crime was partly due to the dearth of social capital as residents no longer worked with the police to deter criminals.

•         Residents Raise Concerns with the HSCTP

In Entumbane, residents expressed concerns with the implementation of the Harmonised Social Cash Transfer Programme (HSCTP). The HSCTP is a pilot project of the department of Social Welfare that disburses cash to disadvantaged families in six of Bulawayo’s wards, including Entumbane (ward 10). Residents complained that the criteria for selection of beneficiaries for the programme was not clear as poor people were being left out yet other who were better off were getting the assistance. They accused the Child Protection Committee in the area, which is in charge of running the programme of corruption. In 2012, BPRA unravelled corruption in the implementation of the HSCTP in Magwegwe (ward 18) prompting the Department of Social Welfare to intervene. The association shall investigate the issue in Entumbane as a way to promote a culture of accountability, consultation and transparency. 

•         Residents Reject Prepaid Water Meters

In Emganwini (ward 26) and Pumula (ward 17), the meetings were dominated by discussions on prepaid water meters, with residents rejecting the gadgets as unsuitable for use in Bulawayo and Zimbabwe at large, arguing that residents are too poor to be able to purchase water in advance. Residents expressed displeasure that the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) did not carry out consultations prior to making the decision to introduce prepaid water meters, which are set to begin with a pilot project in Cowdray Park. They said it was pointless for councillors to inform them about the gadgets if there was nothing they could do to stop the local authority from introducing them. Residents called upon BCC to seek alternative ways of ensuring water availability.

BPRA’s own position on prepaid water meters is that they are undesirable as they place the burden for conserving water on poor people, effectively denying them their right to water yet rich people are free to spend large volumes of water as they can afford it. Prepaid meters are thus discriminatory. BPRA is therefore advocating for BCC to stop its project of installation of prepaid water meters.

The meetings were held in terms of the schedule below:

Ward Meetings

DATE	WARD	VENUE	TIME	AGENDA
17/05/2014	Nkulumane (ward 20)	Mgoqo Primary School	10am – 1pm	Councillor Feedback, Crime in Community
18/05/2014	Pumula North (ward 17)	Pumula North Hall	2pm – 5pm	Feedback from Councillor, Water Prepaid Meters
18/05/2014	Emganwini (ward 26)	Senzangakhona Primary School	10am – 1pm	Housing, Feedback from Councillor
18/05/2014	Entumbane (ward 10)	Entumbane Hall	2pm-5pm	Service Delivery

Constituency Meeting

Date	Constituency	Venue	Time	Agenda
18/05/2014	Nkulumane	Church of Christ	8.30am – 1pm	Constitution Provisions on Women

Regards

Information Department

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association

Bus. Tel: +263 9 61196

Cell: +263 772 516 729