ZICORRA holds service delivery meeting in Ward 17

Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter

The Zimbabwe Combined Residents and Ratepayers Association (ZICORRA) held a service delivery meeting in Ward 17 on Saturday where all burning issues confronting residents of the ward were tackled.

On the agenda were noise pollution, land barons, crime, the new delimitation boundaries, lack of water, non-collection of garbage and vending concerns at Hallingbury Primary School and roads including those being rehabilitated by Government in the ward.

Under the new delimitation exercise, some suburbs which were in Ward 16 now fall under Ward 17.

Speaking at the meeting held at Hallingbury Primary School, Ward 17 Councillor Happymore Gotora told residents that council employees who were supposed to take note of issues raised will be present at the follow up meeting on March 23 as they require 14 days’ notice to attend.

He said last year the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) disbursed RTGS$7,5 billion of the RTGS$7,6 billion approved budget.

“If you calculate with last year’s rate and this money was coming in batches and the city has a total road network of about 4 500 kilometres which need to be maintained and the current progress of 300km is just a drop in the ocean.

“This money managed to cover 300km out of 4 500km.

“So our roads especially our feeder roads are dilapidated, they need attention,” said Cllr Gotora.

He said he has noted residents’ concerns and is aware of the current state of the roads but the city is faced with a “precarious situation as far as funding for the roads rehabilitation is concerned.”

“And only those up there in Avondale are lucky because of the programme that is being carried out by the Ministry of Transport and now because of the Sadc summit, they are now working on various roads up there in Avondale,” said Cllr Gotora.

He said they are pushing for each ward to have its own refuse compactor as a way of improving refuse collection in the city’s suburbs.