By Wesley Murove & Elinciya Witman
“The City of Gweru (CoG) has stepped up efforts to restore urban order and enhance public safety by launching a crackdown on illegal structures while simultaneously rolling out solar-powered street lighting across key areas of the city.
The dual initiative was discussed at the council’s 718th ordinary meeting held last week, reflecting the council’s commitment to enforce development by-laws and embracing sustainable energy solutions to improve service delivery.
Ward Councilor William Mazango 18 highlighted that the council is committed to demolishing unauthorized structures, particularly cabins and plastic shelters that are suspected of harboring drug and substance abuse activities.
His comments came in response to concerns raised by fellow councilors regarding the proliferation of these illegal structures throughout the city.
“Cabins and plastics along the roads are operating illegally. What is the council planning about them? Because amid drug and substance abuse, I believe they are being used by youths for those purposes,” one councilor queried during the session.”
Councilor Mazango responded by reaffirming the council’s readiness to take action.
“As long as people report to the council about those structures, we will definitely demolish them. For example, in Senga and here in the CBD, we demolished them.”
He stressed the importance of community cooperation, urging residents to report illegal activities or structures to help maintain safety and order.
In another discussion, Ward 13 Councilor Augustine Mutusva provided an update on the council’s initiative to install solar street lights across Gweru.
He reported that 12 streets, spanning from Amtec to the roundabout, have already been equipped with these lights, significantly enhancing public safety and visibility during nighttime.
“We are working swiftly to increase the number of solar lights in our neighborhoods,” Councilor Mutusva stated.
However, he acknowledged the challenges faced in transitioning from traditional ZESA energy sources to solar-powered systems and pointed out that the process has been slow due to procurement delays and a limited supply of necessary materials.
“However, our progress is hindered by the time-consuming process of changing from ZESA energy to solar energy.Additionally, we are facing challenges with a limited supply of materials necessary for this project. We are pushing the procurement office to expedite the acquisition of materials for street lights, aiming to ensure that all installations are completed by the end of October.”
The councilor reassured the public of their relentless efforts.
The meeting served as a platform for various council departments to assess each other’s efforts and challenges in service delivery, with councilors holding each other accountable on matters ranging from infrastructure to social issues affecting residents.
The City Council has previously indicated that it is intensifying its efforts to curb drug abuse by eliminating hideouts and creating safer urban environments.
This latest council meeting served as a platform for various departments to review their service delivery efforts and hold each other accountable for challenges ranging from infrastructure development to social issues impacting residents.
The Gweru City Council’s initiatives not only aim to enhance public safety but also to create a cleaner and safer urban environment for its citizens.
As Gweru progresses with these projects, the council remains focused on fostering community collaboration to tackle pressing societal issues and improve the quality of life for all residents.
