Residents Call for Funds for Completion of Matabeleland Projects

Bulawayo is facing a debilitating water crisis while the Matabeleland Zambezi
 Water Project (MZWP), which is touted as as lasting solution to
Matabeleland's water problems  remains a pipe dream

RESIDENTS of Bulawayo and surrounding areas have called upon the Finance Ministry to avail funds for the completion of outstanding projects in the region. The residents were making contributions at a 2013 budget consultative meeting hosted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Investment at the Small City Hall in Bulawayo last week. The residents called for allocation of funds for the completion of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (MZWP), Nkayi Road and the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport. These calls come at a time when Bulawayo is facing a debilitating water crisis characterised by official water shedding for 72 hours a week in all residential areas while some suburbs such as Old  Magwegwe, Emganwini, Mpopoma and Njube go for longer periods without water. It is also a time when construction at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo has been ongoing for several years while air travellers use a hangar that was converted into a temporary checking point ages ago.

Residents said it was time the government completed the projects in the interest of the welfare of the people of Bulawayo and Matabeleland. They argued that the MZWP was the only solution to the water woes facing Bulawayo while completion of the airport was necessary as it was the gateway to the city and essential for economic activity as it would facilitate travel into the city by potential investors. Other issues that were raised by residents included the need for the government to allocate adequate funds to the health, education, mining and agricultural sectors as they are central to improving economic development in the country and addressing unemployment.

Activists in Matabeleland have for a long time argued that the region was marginalised by the government. A plethora of projects initiated by the government remain incomplete in the region. These include the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport, Nkayi Road, the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), the MZWP and Lupane State University (LSU). The region has also been gravely affected by rapid de-industrialisation characterised by closure of companies and laying off of workers. The government has been accused of lacking political will towards addressing all these issues.

Regards

Information Department

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association

Bus. Tel: +263 9 61196

Cell: +263 772 516 729

Meetings on Constitution in Pictures

Alert - BPRA Holds meetings on Constitution

Residents following proceedings at one of the meetings on the
constitution on Saturday 13 October 2012

BULAWAYO PROGRESSIVE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION (BPRA) has launched meetings designed to take the draft constitution to the residents of Bulawayo and give them a platform to express their views on the contents of the document. The meetings, which are being addressed by Members of Parliament (MPS) and Civil Society Organisation (CSO) representatives, are aimed at ensuring that the residents of Bulawayo get an understanding of what is contained in the COPAC draft constitution and make informed choices when the referendum is held. The meetings also aim at harnessing the views of residents so that they can be espoused on their behalf by CSOs and other stakeholders at the second all stakeholders’ conference that is imminent. The meetings are in line with BPRA’s belief that there should always be widespread consultation of residents in the development of policies that affect their livelihoods to ensure that policies match the wishes of the people.

The first batch of meetings held under this series were held this past weekend (13 and 14 October 2012) in Njube (ward 14), Luveve (ward 15), Pumula (ward 19) and Emakhandeni (ward 11). Members of Parliament Honourables Samuel Sipepa-Nkomo, Reggie Moyo and Albert Mhlanga attended the meetings to address residents on the constitution making process and the contents of the draft constitution.  Also present were CSO leaders including Mr Effie Ncube of Matabeleland Constitutional Reform Agenda (MACRA), Ms Anastasia Moyo of the Centre for Women’s Action and Rev Useni Sibanda of the Christian Alliance. One recurrent issue raised by residents was on the need for devolution of power to be enshrined in the final constitution to ensure that all regions in Zimbabwe gain control of their development projects and develop equitably. Residents also expressed fears that the ZANU PF constitution which essentially seeks to reverse democratic strides in the constitution would also be tabled at the second all stakeholders’ conference. They were however assured that according to COPAC, only the COPAC draft will be discussed at the conference.

Note: BPRA will be continuing with the meetings on the constitution until the referendum is held. Timely updates on those meetings will be provided.

Regards

Information Department

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association

Bus. Tel: +263 9 61196

Cell: +263 772 516 729

Website: www.bulawayoresidents.org

Blog: bprainfo.blogspot.com

Twitter: @byopra

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/uhlelo.lwezakhamizi

BPRA to step up use of social networking sites

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) is stepping up its social networking campaign as a means to increase the reach of the information it disseminates and promote citizen participation in local governance. This is in line with the association’s belief that citizen participation in discourses on service delivery and local governance is important in ensuring that the socio-economic needs of residents are considered in the day to day operations of the national and local authorities. This follows a week long social media training workshop hosted by OSISA in Magaliesburg, South Africa which was attended by the BPRA Information Manager, Mr Zibusiso Dube. Among issues leant at the workshop was how to link various social networking sites for enhanced reach to stakeholders, and how to manage content on the sites for maximum impact.

The social networking sites, encompassing Facebook, twitter, blogger, YouTube and possibly Picasa will be aimed at serving three key functions. Firstly, availing residents with critical information pertaining to service delivery and local governance. Secondly, to provide platforms for residents to share their views and wishes on service delivery and governance issues. And lastly, to act as tools to bring to the fore anomalies in service delivery and execution of public mandates by holders of public office in order to promote accountability in their operations. The use of social networks as important communication tools comes after a realisation that they are a good medium to reach to the youth, who most often constitute a sizeable portion of the populace and are generally apathetic when it comes to issues of governance and service delivery.

Importantly, the social networking sites will allow the association to employ use of multiple media forms – text, video and images – to communicate with residents, and they will enable two way communication between BPRA and its various stakeholders. The association therefore calls upon residents, partners and other stakeholders to participate in the online discourses on critical issues affecting the lives of not only the residents of Bulawayo, but Zimbabweans at large.

A stream of sewage in front of the public library and Zimdef building in Bulawayo's Central Business District

Alert – BPRA Weekend Activities (6 & 7 October 2012)

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) will on Saturday this weekend (6 October 2012) be holding two consultative meetings at Lobengula Hall in Ward 14 and Inzwananzi Primary School in Gwabalanda (ward 16) to discuss the water situation in Bulawayo. The meetings will provide residents in the areas with an opportunity to discuss their views on the water crisis with their councillors and BPRA representatives. BPRA is engaged in a campaign on the water crisis that is meant to ensure that residents are aware of the graveness of the water crisis in Bulawayo and act to conserve water. The campaign also aims at pressuring BCC and the government to act to solve the water crisis and prevent outbreak of diseases such as cholera and typhoid, while acting as a conduit for the airing of the views of residents on the issue. The campaign includes monitoring of the water situation in the city and its effects on the lives of residents, and dissemination of information to residents on the gravity of the situation

The schedule for the activities is as follows:

Consultative meetings on Bulawayo’s Water Crisis

Date	Ward and Area	Venue	Time
Sat 6 Oct 2012	Ward 16 – Gwabalanda	Inzwananzi Primary School	2pm to 5pm
Sat 6 Oct 2012	Ward 14 – Lobengula	Lobengula Hall	2pm to 5 pm

Regards

Information Department

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association

Bus. Tel: +263 9 61196

Cell: +263 772 516 729

Alert - Pumula South, Emganwini residents call for electricity

BULAWAYO residents have expressed concerns that Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) is failing to supply some residential areas with electricity, many years after their houses were built. There are many suburbs in Bulawayo that have spent  many years without electricity. Pumula South (Phase 2) residents complained that they have spent more than eight years without electricity. The residents revealed that they had even paid some money towards erection of poles for electricity cables more than three years ago, but to date no action has been taken by the power utility company to avail them with power. The residents also reported that last year ZESA employees came and collected transformers in their area and connected them to another Pumula South section that now has electricity. Residents said this was raising suspicions of corruption in the operations of ZESA as it seems to be giving preference to other residents. The residents expressed concerns that unavailability of electricity had led to many accidents in the area with people losing property to fires caused by candles and paraffin stoves.

In Emganwini, residents resettled under the Millennium Housing Scheme have faced similar challenges to those faced by Pumula South residents. The residents have spent eight years without electricity. The residents told Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) that they are spending as much as three dollars per day on firewood, or opt to look for firewood at the nearby bushes, which is illegal and warrants a fine from local authority employees. The residents also said young girls were exposed to sexual abuse in the bushes while looking for firewood.

BPRA therefore calls upon ZESA to make an effort to ensure that all residential areas that do not have access to electricity are connected. The ZESA authorities have to make sure that they distribute the available electricity in the country fairly among residents as electricity is a necessity for all in a modern society.

Regards

Information Department

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association

Bus. Tel: +263 9 61196

Cell: +263 772 516 729