Suburban
Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter
A NEW leadership has taken over the reign at the Greendale Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) with Mr Charles Chirikure coming in as the new chairperson of the residents’ body.
Mr Chirikure was elected the new chairperson of GRRA at the association’s reconvened annual general meeting held on Friday last week at the Greendale Methodist Church.
He takes over from Mr Francis Zimunya Nyamutsamba who has been the GRRA chairperson since 2010.
Mr Tinashe Hwindingwi was elected deputy chairperson of the GRRA at the same meeting.
Speaking at the reconvened GRRA AGM, Mr Chirikure said he has been working with the Greendale community as the chairperson of the development committee in the GRRA which has been coordinating different community activities. These include the revival of the council-owned Greendale Swimming Pool, the community library and challenging illegal developments among other issues affecting the suburb.
“Thank you for electing me. I will try and do my best.
“Our biggest problem is that we could not take the things forward because at the top there, there was nothing,” he said.
Mr Chirikure said given a choice, he will see to it that things start to happen.
“What we need is to start doing something, to encourage and we can get the momentum that is required,” he said.
Mr Hwindingwi said he wants to see Greendale change for the good.
“I am also a historian and I have also tried to trace the history of our community and there is a lot that has changed in terms of make-up of people and properties being developed and I also want to make a difference.
“I don’t have his experience (Mr Chirikure) and know-how but I have seen areas that need to be addressed especially in terms of engagement,” he said.
Mr Hwindingwi said not many people are willing to volunteer to undertake or lead community development.
“The whole point is we are supposed to be a community.
“We are supposed to develop this space with whatever we can, with the little we have,” he said.
Ms Chipo Masanzu was elected GRRA secretary replacing Ms Noma Nkomani while Mr Mafingei Nyamwanza was elected chairperson of the development committee, a position previously held by Mr Chirikure before being elected GRRA chairperson.
The GRRA reconvened its annual general meeting on Friday last week specifically to elect a new leadership and look at ways to amend the association’s constitution.
Speaking at the initial AGM held earlier in July, former GRRA chairperson Mr Nyamutsamba said he had remained in the position since 2010 because few people were prepared to take up the task.
“This is mainly because very few people wanted to take up the challenge.
“But I’m saying I think I have done my time. I have served the community long enough and I think we need new blood.
“I think I mentioned this over a year ago that I will not be seeking re-election.
“I said I would retire at the end of the year, that is at this annual general meeting,” he said.
Former GRRA secretary Ms Nkomani proposed that the tenure of office holders should be on an annual basis and not the current four years.
“Four years is a long time for people to commit to be in office.
“I think we should be electing a new committee annually.
“I also have had an opportunity to look at the Borrowdale Ratepayers and Residents Association committee, which I think is quite a vibrant residents’ association and also just speaking to them, they said that it works for them to do just a year because remember, this is volunteer work,” she said.
Harare East Member of Parliament Mr Tendai Biti said a constitution has a method of how it is amended and most constitutions have an adequate period of notice.
He proposed that the reconvened AGM could resolve that one of the tasks of the incoming committee is to study how adequate the current constitution is.
Mr Biti said the new committee should look at how the constitution can be amended.
“They can call an extraordinary general meeting for the specific purposes of amending the constitution,” he said.
At its initial AGM, the GRRA said it was pleased with its efforts in terms of pushing for service delivery in the past year.
Mr Nyamutsamba told the meeting that in 2021 the association had managed to form a number of committees to deal with issues affecting service delivery in the suburb.
He said there was need to form more committees for water, roads, health, refuse collection, education, electricity and recreation.
