BRRA holds annual general meeting

Suburban Correspondent 

The Borrowdale Ratepayers and Residents Association (BRRA) holds its annual general meeting at Borrowdale Brooke Golf Club on Friday March 22, 2024 where a number of reports on service delivery will be presented.

The reports include the chairperson’s report, Borrowdale district officer’s report, councillor’s report and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (Borrowdale Police Station) report.

The meeting is also expected to approve financial statements and reports for 2023, approve the 2024 budget, proposed amendments to the BRRA constitution as well as the election/re-election of executive committee members.

Mrs Mary Wazara who has been leading a recycling initiative for Avondale West and Emerald Hill residents will be a guest speaker at the AGM. She will present and take questions on waste management in the home.

The meeting will also see the recognition of outstanding community members with the presentation of awards to winners of the “Power of One” award and the Conservation Trophy.

A ward review of 2023 shows that water supply in Ward 18 was poor last year due to some challenges of power and water treatment chemical shortages

The agreement between the BRRA and the City of Harare on refuse collection is still running with the two refuse trucks dedicated to Ward 18 doing weekly collections amid numerous cases of breakdowns.

One of the two trucks was off the road for most of the period under review.

A few illegal dumps which were at Helensvale Shopping Centre and along Drew Road were cleared.  The review also touched on the state of roads in the ward.

“For the year 2023 road maintenance in terms of pothole patching was not so efficient as we faced erratic supply of cat mix drums for cold premix. However approximately 30 percent of the roads were patched with the fewer cat mix drums we received.

“In the absence of tar, gravel became a major player in terms of pothole patching. Some Companies and individuals played a major role by chipping in with assistance where resources lacked, companies such as Whelson Transport to which we were so grateful. Other residents also played a part in pothole patching,” reads the review. Numerous illegal activities were identified and reported and forwarded to the City of Harare’s Development Control for their attention.

“It’s unfortunate that most issues were not attended to due to different challenges.”

The report noted that most vendors continued to operate in undesignated places and while enforcements were carried out the vendors would be quick to return.

“Different illegal activities increased at the Helensvale shops vendors ignoring council instructions to vacate the place.”

The report notes that most ratepayers owe council huge amounts of money. Borrowdale area’s rates debtors were at around 70 billion (RTGS) with most people with vast land owing council huge amounts. Some residents pay their bills and others were not despite issuing final demands to pay,” says the report.

The BRRA leadership expressed gratitude to the Borrowdale community and residents for all the assistance rendered to the city in carrying out different tasks which include:

• barricading at Helensvale borehole
• construction of the Helensvale bus stop
• attending to tree cutting issues at Helensvale
• supplying fuel for vendors’ enforcement and other issues
• supplying materials, transport, and manpower on roads maintenance (pothole patching)
• participating in service delivery meetings and all the suggestions and guidance to make the area a better ward
• and other help not mentioned but all was greatly appreciated