Residents have raised concern over failure by councillors at Townhouse who are stating that Councillors were turning a blind eye on the problems being faced by communities.
Speaking during a Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development, meeting in Gweru, residents challenged city fathers to urgently address grievances of lack of water in the suburbs and continued bursting of sewer pipes in the city.
Councillor Trust Chineni (Ward15) responded to the concerns raised by residents, about the blockage of drainage systems especially in the Central Business District (CBD).
“We have a challenge every time when unblocking sewer lines as we always find foreign objects inside the sewage pipes. People are dumping things like rotten potatoes, vegetables especially the illegal vendors and fast foods outlets “said Councillor Chineni.
He also encouraged the residents to try and work together with the City Council in making sure that the city is in a good state and avoid vandalizing sewage pipes.
The residents went on to talk about the street lights that were installed by the City Council and stated that these lights were not effective enough as they are not bright.
Gweru Mayor Dr. Makombe said “We acknowledge that the person assigned to do this job did not do his job well and as the Council, we will make sure that this error is rectified and the lights are fixed,”.
The residents raised complaints against ward Councillors that they are neglecting their duties as they are not working towards the refurbishment of roads especially in Nashville and Mkoba3.
With the rainy season already on, fear among residents is that roads will become more damaged and people will face challenges navigating on poor roads.
However, people in some wards have resolved to fix the roads temporarily but are also appealing to their councillors to take the lead.
“We have heard your complaints and encourage you to talk to your Councillor or any other Councillor about your problems even if they don’t belong to your ward so that you get assistance. I will also make sure that this issue is addressed as well” added Mayor Makombe. By Elaine Mpofu
