Bulawayo Ward 25 residents initiate cleanup operations
Above: Ward 25 Chairperson Mrs Thandi Nkiwan buys a refreshment after the hot clean- up work.
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe – During a recent tour of Ward Twenty Five in the disadvantaged Township of Nketa, 12 kilometres from the City Centre, Team ZDDT came across restoration activity being conducted by residents.
Field Correspondent Lewis Jones (LJ) used this opportunity to sound out the group leader of a clean-up campaign and Community Action Team (C.A.T) local Chairperson, Mrs. Thandi Nkiwan (TN), about her views on community restoration work in her neighbourhood.
Below may be found excerpts from the discussion.
LJ What exactly prompted you to conduct this clean-up, which I notice is being carried out voluntarily on residents’ own volition?
TN Alarmed by unchecked littering and growing piles of illegally dumped refuse, the community approached the local Councillor and called for action to be taken. He summoned a meeting where it was decided to address the issue through clean-ups that would augment efforts being made by the Local Authority to deal with the problem. Incidentally, with the approaching rainy season, decisions were also taken to clear existing storm drains and excavate others where none exist. This, it is felt, would be necessary to prevent the likely spread of disease that may breed in stagnant pools of water choked with refuse.
LJ That will constitute a lot of work. How will you achieve the plan?
TN Yes, it may sound like much work, but in this community there is no shortage of people who are willing to join in voluntarily. They realise that the City Council is cash-strapped and therefore cannot provide effective services. It is this that prompts them to chip in with such work as we are doing here.
LJ I notice that some of you are wearing SEBENZELA bibs. Why is this so?
TN Those wearing the bibs are members of the Ward C.A.T (Community Action Team). The reason why we wear them is an indication that we consider the SEBENZELA Programme to be on-going and undiminishing in relevance. We have gained valuable skills from training received in the course of the Programme and are able to apply these in activities such as this. As a result residents now take pride in their neighbourhood and feel that they have ownership over local situations, since they participate in decision making on issues that affect their lives at grass-root level. To me, this translates into true empowerment of the local community. For this, we need to thank ZDDT, who are the Programme’s initiators.
LJ Do you feel that these activities and those of similar kind in other Wards make a significant contribution to better service delivery by the Municipality?
TN Certainly. The way I see it is that the money the City Council saves through our activities could be used in areas where the priority is greater. An example that comes to mind is Council utilising such funds to resume providing waste bins and perhaps increase frequencies of refuse collection.
LJ How often do you intend to conduct these exercises, which I feel could correctly be defined as community restorative in nature?
TN As previously stated, we wish to keep these exercises sustainable. Residents are ready to continue assisting the City Authorities for as long as is necessary and even after things get better. I imagine that this is a consequence of their belief that they have an obligation to their neighbourhood and the larger community as a whole. We are fortunate that our Councillor is very supportive and provides the good leadership that motivates us in our work. As a result he is held in high regard by the residents.