MKOBA is a constituency found in Gweru’s biggest high-density, Mkoba suburb. The constituency covers seven wards and has a population which houses mainly low income earners with a high figure of people in the informal sector as well as the unemployed.
STEPHEN CHADENGA
Over the years, the constituency has been experiencing declining standards of living of its people, characterised by power and water cuts.
Issues that the MP can raise in Parliament as questions
lWater shortages and burst sewers (Local Government and Environment ministries)
lPower cuts (Energy ministry)
lLand barons who allocate illegal stands (Local Government ministry)
lUnemployment (Labour ministry)
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
lShortage of space for vendors (Small and Medium Enterprises)
Performance of the MP in Parliament
Amos Chibaya (MDC-T) has been National Assembly representative for Mkoba since 2005. He is an active and outspoken in Parliament, hence, has managed to raise quite a number of issues in the august House.
Chibaya is one of the MPs who have been pushing for corruption to be tackled, particularly in government to account for taxpayers’ money. Chibaya is an MP who believes his contributions in Parliament since he assumed the Mkoba seat 13 years ago would give him another mandate from the people in elections due on July 30.
What people said about their MP
Chipo Jekesa (33) Mkoba 4
Chibaya once visited our area for a funeral and we know him. He has helped many vulnerable families, but we face the problem of houses built on illegal spaces and we hope the MP would help address them.
James Chiseko (47) Mkoba 14
We know the MP, but Mkoba 14 has been facing water problems for years. The taps are at times dry in this area and we hope the MP will help address the problem through drilling of more boreholes.
Artwell Rupende (26) Mkoba 6
We know the MP, but we want him to be the voice of youths here in Mkoba. Just come to Mkoba 6 and you would see the number of youth who are just hanging around the shops doing nothing. Some of the youth abuse alcohol and drugs because they have no jobs.
Tambudzai Muchenje (25) Mkoba 2
I know the MP. He has even donated furniture and helped renovate our church. But we want the MP to do more, particularly for vendors. We need more vending stalls where we can sell our wares at designated sites.
Simbarashe Moyo (30) Mkoba 20
I am a frustrated youth who has never worked the whole of my life. I have lost hope in our politicians since most of them preach development and prosperity, but when they are in power you rarely see any meaningful development. I want whoever wins Mkoba constituency to address bread and better issues, particularly those affecting us as the youth.
Nixon Murambiwa (56) Mkoba 15
He is a vibrant MP, who has gone beyond his mandate as MP to help people at funerals, churches and at times personal problems faced by people in the constituency. He has been active in Parliament and the problems faced by Mkoba are not unique to those faced by the nation, hence, some of the blame is beyond his control.
MP’s response
I sit on three committees − Public Service Labour and Social Welfare, Youth an Women Affairs and Lands and Agriculture and Rural Resettlement. I am also in the Inter-Parliamentary Union made up of legislators drawn from across the world. On the issues of projects in my constituency, I have among other things built Mkoba library and I am in the process of installing free wi-fi. I have donated furniture to schools such as Takunda Primary School. I have initiated construction of public toilets at Mkoba 11 and 18 as well as Mambo shopping centres. I have also assisted with the construction of Mkoba 2 Methodist Church early childhood development block as well as its electrification. I have assisted St Paul’s Roman Catholic and Roman Catholic St Luke churches with floor tiles. I have helped women and youth in my constituency with funds to start self-help projects as well as paying fees for orphans.
For feedback to my constituency, I use social media platforms as well as regular meetings where I meet the residents and address problems bedevilling the constituency.
On water problems, I have made it a point to engage Gweru City Council and press the local authority to make sure water is delivered to residents. I have also approached relevant authorities in government to speed up the drilling of boreholes.
My constituency has many people who are into vending, so we have identified open space where legal vending stalls have been put up. I also help informal traders with training in the requisite business skills so that they run their projects professionally.
On debates in Parliament, I have raised my voice over corruption, particularly in the public sector.
In championing human rights issues, many would recall that three years ago all opposition MPs walked out of the House in solidarity with me after I was chucked (out of the House) for demanding that legislators should continue debating the (alleged) abduction of journalist and human rights activist Itai Dzamara by suspected State security agents.
Although the issue of land barons has remained a point of concern in Gweru in general, Mkoba constituency has not faced such challenges.
