Bulawayo's Community Action Team Leader of the Year: Vusa Chirwa


The Ward 28 CAT was formed at the beginning of 2012 when Vusa decided that it was pertinent for his Ward to join with the Trust and become actively involved in its Community Development and Restoration initiatives and interventions.

ZDDT News Correspondent, Ntando Sibanda (NS) caught up with Vusa (Variation) (VC) on the side-lines of the Bulawayo South Sebenzela Celebration and Award Ceremony.

Below can be found parts of the interview that ensued:

NS: Being the newest CAT leader, how do you feel about winning this prestigious award?

VC: I feel really humbled to win this award on behalf of my ward. We have only been active as a CAT for one year and this serves to stand as a milestone on our first anniversary.

NS: Do you think ZDDT’s policy of awarding outstanding Community members in various categories of Community Development and Restoration serves as a motivation for them to perform better and even excel in their respective wards?

VC: It definitely motivates people. For example, for me to get this far I was also motivated by Luveve, as its Councillor, Cllr Israel Mabaleka won the Councillor of the Year Award last year (2011) and we really wanted to emulate that. Also, winning this award as a new comer will motivate all those who came after us, such as Ward one, which recently assembled their own CAT. People begin to say that if they can, why can’t we too. At the end of the day, you give yourself a challenge that next time you are going to work really hard to win the award as well.

NS: Do you think ZDDT is really making an impact on the communities and people’s lives?

VC: Personally, I am very grateful to ZDDT for presenting us with this golden opportunity to take part in the development and restoration of our communities. It is important to note that ZDDT is playing a pivotal role towards the realisation of Millennium Development Goal 7, which is to ensure environmental sustainability. With the course we are taking, realising that goal is really  achievable and thanks to ZDDT for playing a very instrumental role in that.

ZDDT has planted over 3 000 trees in the past three years in Bulawayo and over 2 000 in Gweru. The Trust’s efforts in fighting the negative consequences of climate change and de-forestation, have even been acknowledged by the United Nations, through its Billion Tree initiative.