Community meetings
Citizen activist Michael Laban has done a great job of sharing some feedback with us on various local community meetings he’s attended lately.
Her are some interesting snippets:
Ward 7: we again had no word, no apology, no excuse, from our Councillor, Masiya Kapare. Just . . . blank. Strikes me he serves the MDC – his party, and not the residents – the people who elected him.
Ward 8: I attended a Ward 8 meeting at Highlands Church, and that was well attended (over 100 people). The Councilor was there and ran the meeting with some skill, and there were many Heads of Departments there, who answered questions! I was impressed.
Waste: The city needs 45 vehicles to do the job, it only has 8. 20 new vehicles are ‘under negotiation’. However, has the City (and everyone around it) learnt the lessons? The vehicles need to be maintained, which cost money you cannot put into your pocket, and you have to hire and pay qualified people to maintain them, not your friends (all of whom need to be fired to pay those qualified).
Parliamentary Portfolio Meeting: The city is in chaos. Most significant fact – the budget/finances have not been audited in ten years! People have been billed for water for 3 years, but not received any water in that time. Then, the first thing the city does is buy nice, fancy cars. Is it a wonder people just don’t pay – if they do not know where the money is going, why should they? There are tolls on the roads, but the potholes are still there.
Corruption: Just too much. From the airport road to allocation of stands.
Wednesday, March 3rd 2010 at 8:23 pm
City in Chaos sounds interesting. similar situations abound in many African Countries where the politicians take the people for a ride. Citizens must rise and demand their due!!