Suburban
Peter Tanyanyiwa Suburban Reporter
THE Borrowdale Ratepayers and Residents Association (BRRA) has started repairs to the roof at Borrowdale District Office among a number of projects the residents’ association is pushing to improve service delivery.
The other projects are expected to start anytime soon but work has already started at the badly run down Borrowdale District Office whose roof is in need of major repairs to save the building.
BRRA officials say are happy that the City of Harare team was taking the roof repairs seriously as they worked throughout last weekend in an attempt to beat the imminent downpour of rains.
In an interview, BRRA chairperson Mr Robert Mutyasira said the team from council has made significant progress and are likely to completed the work by this weekend.
“The CoH team is doing some very good work. We want to thank them for finally working on the Borrowdale District Office roof. We appreciate them as they were making efforts to make sure they finish before the heavy rains start again. Although this work has taken quite some time and much probing to commence following instructions of compulsory closure of the office from the City Health Department, we are happy to see the fruition of interventions by the BRRA, Ward 18 Councillor Ian Makone and district officer Tendai Mapfumo,” he said.
Mr Mutyasira said BRRA was grateful for the commencement of the repairs since there had been talks of closing Borrowdale District Office if the repairs were not done.
The closure of the district office would have inconvenienced the residents as they would have been forced to conduct all council business outside Ward 18.
“The closure of the district office would have surmounted to untold inconvenience to residents as they would have had to conduct all their business with council outside of our ward. Concerns of further structural damage to the building will be a thing of the past once the roof has been repaired,” said the BRRA leader.
The repairs come after the BRRA facilitated for the extermination of the termites which had infested the office and were on course to compromise the entire roof structure.
The water harvesting equipment which the residents’ body installed last year has greatly improved water supply into the offices easing pressure on the recently installed borehole as it was now the rainy season.
“The tanks were placed strategically to harvest water from the roof and lift pumps installed to pump the water into the building. Prior to these initiatives council staff had resorted to carrying their own water for toilets and other uses to work as there was no water at all. BRRA are hopeful that all their efforts will translate into better working conditions for council staff serving the ward culminating in improved service delivery and more pleasant attitudes. We will continue to intervene until all systems have returned to normal and when there is greater benefit to our residents. Some residents have gone as far as providing plants and flowers as well as manicuring the area around the office greatly improving the environment and outlook of our most treasured community asset affectionately known as the round house,” said Mr Mutyasira.
He said residents were excited about the recent approval of their proposed Helensvale bus stop project and road markings to be funded by a corporate operating in Ward 18.
“BRRA is also pleased to announce the approval by CoH of the Helensvale bus stop project. Once completed these projects will result in a major facelift of one of our most notorious public facilities while the road markings at humps will be of much convenience to motorists as the will drive more carefully while approaching these humps. We are excited about these developments that continue to manifest the impact of a community who work together.
“It may look like small steps at the moment and sceptics may go to town about it but we know we are building capacity and the foundations that can sustain more significant developments and preparing ourselves for the management of bigger portfolios should devolution become a tangible reality. It is pleasing to note that there are residents who are responding to these positive changes by voluntarily increasing their annual subscriptions to the residents’ body while others have committed to give something extra every month and more enquiries from prospective members are coming through,” said Mr Mutyasira.
