Residents associations from across the country are contemplating forming a national body to deal with issues of service delivery in local authorities. This follows recommendations of a residents’ summit held in Bulawayo recently.
By NQOBANI NDLOVU
The Bulawayo Progressive Residents’ Association (BPRA) and the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) early this month jointly held a summit in Bulawayo that brought together 38 residents associations from across the country.
Issues discussed at the summit included devolution of power, declaration of assets by public officials as a tool to promote public integrity in local authorities, participation of citizens in local governance, service delivery and local government policy, among others.
“The summit reaffirmed the importance of having a unified residents movement at national level to work towards addressing national issues,” BPRA acting coordinator Emmanuel Ndlovu said.
“In light of this, a congress of residents’ associations shall be held in the first quarter of 2019 to establish the leadership of the residents’ movement at national level and ensure that the residents associations approach national advocacy issues in a unified manner.”
He said corruption and lack of public integrity in local authorities had become a cause for concern and residents associations need to take it upon themselves to address the scourge.
“Declaration of assets was identified as an important tool to address corruption, and it was highlighted that it would be good to take advantage of Section 68 of the Constitution that provides for the declaration of assets (by public officials),” Ndlovu added.
