Suburban
The Greendale Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) has established a Development Committee charged with tackling service delivery issues in the suburb.
Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter
The Greendale Residents and Ratepayers Development Committee Development was formed at the residents’ body’s meeting held at Greendale Sports Club on Saturday.
Eight people volunteered to be part of the committee with the environment portfolio (which will be in charge of refuse collection, anti-dumping and Willies Dam) and the recreation portfolio (which will be in charge of Greendale Swimming Pool) still to be filled.
Chairing the Greendale Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) meeting, Mr Francis Nyamutsamba said the development committee will make sure that service delivery issues, for example, water is actually provided to every household and if there are any challenges such as burst water pipes and other things, the portfolio in charge of water will deal with those issues with the City of Harare on behalf of residents.
Residents said the one of the main issues to be addressed by the development committee include the problems brought about by bulk water suppliers.
The residents said as a result of water abstraction for resell in residential areas by the bulk water suppliers, their boreholes were drying up because the companies were abstracting hundreds of thousands to millions of litres per day.
One of the residents said a bulk water supplier, Mr Bulk Water is abstracting millions of litres of water in their neighbourhoods leaving their boreholes dry.
“My borehole is dry. My children aren’t bathing because they are pumping millions of litres of water.
“I live about 400 metres from Mr Bulk Water and I am more than happy for them to be there if they stick to the regulations and they do it legally. But from what I can see, I drive past there every day and they are pumping way more water than they should be.
“If we don’t do anything about it, none of us will have water for our boreholes,” said the resident.
Another resident said there is also another bulk water supplier located near Mr Bulk Water.
“And they have got equipment to pump 100 000 litres a day,” said the resident.
A participant at the meeting urged the newly established development committee to ensure that bulk water suppliers leave residents of the area enough water for their boreholes.
Residents also urged the development committee to look into illegal dumping.
“Willies Dam, Harare Drive, they are coming with 30-tonne trucks and dumping and I have fought with them and reported them to the police but there is no follow up.
“We need to have a plan.
“I am willing to financially back the cleaning of it but how do we keep it clean?” said a resident.
Another speaker at the meeting said people come from as far as Rhodesville Avenue to dump garbage along Cecil Avenue, which include things such as disposable diapers and set the dumped refuse on fire.
“People should know that if you burn plastic, it can cause cancer,” said the speaker.
Residents said illegal dumping signs are there but those dumping ignore them and when confronted, they ask the people questioning them who they are.
The litter bugs also justify their dumping because the City of Harare is not collecting the rubbish.
The residents said the issue of potholes also needs to be tackled.
“St Malo, Athlone shops area, it’s like going into an empty pool,” the meeting heard.
Residents called for enforcement of by-laws to deal with heavy trucks, which are damaging roads in residential areas, and those found dumping garbage.
They cited Cunningham Road as one of the roads frequented by the truckers, who are leaving the roads badly worn out.
