MEMBERS of the Borrowdale Residents and Ratepayers Association (BRRA) scored a first yesterday when they officially handed over community projects to Harare City Council at a colourful function yesterday.
BRRA handed over the Helenvale business centre bus stop shelter and garden, a waste separation centre and the renovated Borrowdale Clinic.
Speaking at the ceremony, BRRA chairperson Robert Mutyasira said the residents intended to construct for the country a world-class community recreation centre with facilities that allow locals to showcase their abilities and energy.
“As you may be aware, most of the recreational facilities in this ward are privately owned and have restricted access, leaving the bulk of our residents, especially the youth, with nowhere to unleash their energy and agility, thus exposing them to inappropriate engagements and activities,” he said.
“This is not a beginning, but a continuation of a preceding culture of community co-operation and resilience that we have holistically inherited and embraced.”
Mutyasira said community development contributed to the general national development.
“It is those aspirations that we have seen as our goal, the pleasure that others may be enjoying while we work tirelessly, committing resources, time, expertise and unwavering dedication to a worthy cause,” he said.
“Community development precedes national development. It is the more than necessary building block in the transformation of the entire nation.
“The bus stop perimeter fence is 80% complete and more beautification ideas and lighting are pending. All these developments will require day-to-day maintenance.
“At this juncture, I wish to make it known to all of us that for 2025, we have once again taken up another ambitious challenge.”
In a speech read on his behalf by councillor Stanley Manyenga, Harare mayor Jacob Mafume applauded the collaboration between council and BRRA.
“The BRRA has shown a new and effective way forward, it has not been just an association of home owners, it has been a development partner,” he said.
“The council’s role is to plan, regulate and provide the framework for progress and have the technical aspect, that institutional capacity, but you the residents have the on the ground knowledge and community spirit,” he added.
Meanwhile, Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Charles Tawengwa, in a speech read on his behalf by the director for infrastructure planning and environmental management in his office, Engineer Herbert Parichi, applauded BRRA for setting an example for other communities.
“What has been done by BRRA comes to us as a learning platform to those who have not started yet and also to our government ministries, departments and agencies we should keep in support of such initiatives,” he said.