Chitungwiza residents up in arms with municipality

Lovemore Lubinda

Residents in Chitungwiza have expressed dismay over the municipality’s failure in addressing their concerns, thereby undermining their wellbeing.

Speaking at suburban committee restructuring meeting that was held in St Mary’s on 5 July 2018, residents expressed concern over the municipality’s failure to repair faults that had been reported.

The meeting which was facilitated by the Harare Residents Trust (HRT) was meant to elect new suburban leadership, as well as review service delivery issues affecting their community.

Some of the issues raised include failure by the Chitungwiza municipality to repair tower lights, to collect refuse at the shopping centre, to act on reported water leaks, as well as the refusal by the local authority to accept part payments of certain bills.

One resident said she was denied paying $100 by a cashier citing that the part payment amount was too little as compared to the debt she owes the municipality.

The residents roundly complained that lack of functional tower lights in the area expose residents to robberies and street muggings, while the unavailability of tap water, lack of refuse collection is a health time bomb that can lead to the popping up and spread of waterborne diseases.

They said the toilets at the St Mary’s Community Hall have not been functioning for two years, resulting in vendors, and other people relieving themselves on the walls of the Hall, in the vicinity of people selling cooked food.

The HRT said it was investigating the issues raised so as to ascertain the true picture and that once established, the suburban committee will engage the local authority to address the issues.

Meanwhile, the local authority sometime in 2017; had to eat the humble pie and apologised to residents, attributing the failure to provide basic services to poor revenue inflows.