×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Residents urged to bury political differences

News
STAKEHOLDERS have urged various residents’ associations in Mutare to bury their ideological differences and combine efforts with council to rebuild the city’s dilapidated infrastructure.

STAKEHOLDERS have urged various residents’ associations in Mutare to bury their ideological differences and combine efforts with council to rebuild the city’s dilapidated infrastructure.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

Speaking on Saturday at a service delivery discussion forum organised by the Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe, various stakeholders warned residents’ associations to stop fighting each other.

“There is need for organisations representing residents here in Mutare to push certain agendas together,” ZimRights representative Passmore Nyakureba said.

“Basically, these organisations are dealing with the same issues although they compete for similar space and resources.

“What unites them by far outweighs what can separate them, hence the need for them to make concerted efforts to harness their energy towards achieving results for their common constituency, who are the residents.

“It thus makes a lot of gain for them to push towards one goal from different corners they are occupying in society,” Nyakureba said.

He added that residents should be aware of the provisions of the constitution binding their local authorities so that they can be in a position to defend their rights through either administrative remedies or litigation measures.

Speaking at the same event, David Mutambirwa, chairman of the Mutare Residents and Ratepayers’ Association, urged the local authority to depoliticise service delivery and engage many stakeholders on issues affecting the city.

Enddy Ziyera, who was representing United Mutare Ratepayers and Residents’ Forum, challenged city fathers to prove their worth and stop acting like directionless cry-babies fond of shifting blame to others.

However, Mutare councillor Kudakwashe Chisango blamed the residents’ organisations for preaching hate messages against city managers, accusing some of fronting certain political parties.

Service delivery in Mutare has plummeted to its lowest levels as council also struggles to pay workers’ salaries due to a sharp decline in revenue.