Ward 8 Thorngrove, residents in Bulawayo are up in arms with councillor Shilla Musonda over corruption allegations, gross incompetence and failure to develop the constituency.
BY NIZBERT MOYO
Residents complained that they were not getting any feedback from the councillor at a ward meeting, this week.
“We are now seeing mushrooming of stands here, we do not know what is happening. The councillor does not tell us. We are the ratepayers and we get no feedback. We do not know what is happening. She has also allocated herself infill stands together with her friends in an area which she has neglected for so long in terms of development,’’ one of the residents said.
The residents complained that some developers were building churches on land earmarked for the Thorngrove shopping complex.
They claimed the churches did not have ablution facilities and were disturbing their peace as they hold night vigils.
Thorngrove Residents’ Association vice-chairperson Charles Ncube said some stands had been allocated on a wetland along Mpopoma railway station.
Residents accused the councillor of holding on to a document from the city council which, together with the Primary and Secondary Education ministry, gave them the greenlight to operate a preschool in the area.
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They complained that the councillor gave a directive to council authorities not to release the document.
“She told us that as long as she is a councillor of this ward, we will not get the licence to operate the preschool,’’ residents claimed.
They said the councillor has some interests in the preschool because she had indicated that she wanted to run it.
Residents said there was nothing that they could do as for now as her term of office was almost over, but come elections they will see what they will do.
In her response during the meeting and in an interview, Musonda said all the accusations were politically motivated.
“There is a friction here. The war is between Zanu PF and MDC. Why are they not talking about the development that I have done so far in the area?” Musonda asked.
“I have opened a pharmacy, patching of roads will start early next month in the ward and community members will be employed, but there are already some from Thorngrove that are already benefiting from the grass cutting exercise going on.”
She said she was not the one who allocated stands, but she got hers from the councillors’ Local Government allocation.
Musonda also said churches were allocated stands on disputed land before she came into office.
She brought the issue of lack of ablution facilities at the churches to council.
Musonda said she would work together with residents to ensure the issue of the preschool was brought finality.
