Suburban
SOME residents who attended the recent Ward 9 pre-budget consultative at Greendale Sport Club ambushed the area Councillor Musarurwa Mutizwa over his lack of visibility in the ward.
Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter
Residents said they have not seen the councillor in the ward for the past year.
“We have had three consultative (service delivery) meetings here and you as our councillor you were not even present and this hall was filled with people.
“And people were asking where is our councillor and you were nowhere,” said one resident.
Residents also blamed Cllr Mutizwa for not consulting residents on the Pomona Waste to Energy project between the City of Harare and Geogenix BV.
“And during the time you were acting mayor, if there is a big deal that affects residents, you should have consulted the residents.
“Now we have read about it in the press and I am having to pay someone for the dumping of rubbish,” said a resident.
At one of the service delivery meetings, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume told residents that Cllr Mutizwa had gone AWOL and he had brought Ward 8 Councillor Keith Charumbira to represent the residents of Ward 9.
“Things are improving because of those two meetings. Even water we now get water two days a week,” said a Greendale resident.
A member of the Greendale Residents and Ratepayers’ Association (GRRA) said they were expecting Cllr Mutizwa to help them with the formulation of the ward development committee.
However, Cllr Mutizwa said he has never failed to attend a meeting in his ward if invited even when he is at fault.
“I would want to shoulder the blame. I’m always a free man. And for the two meetings that happened here I have no apology for (not attending) because they were political meetings and I would not have been notified. I got to know about them when they were almost finished because I was not invited. They were politically motivated and I would not want to speak anything that is political here,” he said.
Cllr Mutizwa said he was not a signatory to the Pomona waste to energy deal.
“The operations of council, like the issue we have discussed here for example the roundabout (on Court Road and Arcturus Road and on Arcturus Road and Harare Drive), you will see the roundabout being constructed and the contracts and adjudication will be done in council.
“Similarly (the Pomona project) has been on the cards and it was advertised and discussed on so many forums where I was even a part of (the forums) to discuss the management of our waste to say it is going this route.
“The conversion of waste to energy, which is the concept that council has flighted in a newspaper looking for partners to come and do the waste to energy project.
“So that’s the reason why I said there are some areas that I would not be able to explain and justify like the financial model used etc.
“The adjudication and everything has been done not in a hidden way because everything was being flighted in the newspapers and on television,” he said.
Cllr Mutizwa said there is a clause in the agreement where if one partner wants to walk out of the deal, they can still do so.
He said the matter is before the courts where council is being challenged either to reverse or review the deal.
Cllr Mutizwa said he can facilitate for residents to visit the Pomona waste to energy site.
ZANU PF chairperson for Greendale 3 Mandara District, Cde Chiwa Chipwere said it seemed there was lack of coordination between Cllr Mutizwa and Harare East MP Tendai Biti.
“It sounds like between you and the MP (Tendai Biti) you are not working together yet we need you to be in the same basket. How would we know as residents that was a political meeting because what we know is MP Biti is an elected MP and you are also Harare East Ward 9 (Councillor)?”
Cllr Mutizwa said at the time the meetings were held there were certain issues, he did not specify at the meeting, which were happening.
“At that time, there were issues that were happening but for now we are ok. Even at a cleanup for Kamfinsa, I am the one who gave him (Biti) everything though it was a political cleanup, I did everything.”
Commenting on the pre-budget meeting, Cde Chipwere said there is need for a designated site at Mandara shopping centre where the youths and other people can sell their wares regardless of political affiliation considering the vending stalls are sprouting everywhere in Greendale and Mandara.
“Council must provide public toilets and water and find another place to sink another borehole where there is no salty water.
“The place that was designated for a market for vendors at Kamfinsa was sold by council where there were public toilets and there are people chasing away vendors who are paid up,” he said. Cde Chipwere said there is need for Mr Biti and Cllr Mutizwa to work together for the betterment of the ward.
