Yesterday, Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) convened a Social Accountability meeting with Plumtree Ward 1 and 4 residents on issues that were left unattended, in the last visit to the border town. In the last meeting, residents brought to light the level of poor access to sewer reticulation services in the community, ownership mishaps of the local Community Hall, and how cattle continuously feed on their farm produce.
In attendance were health club workers, Ward Councilors, the overseer of the Community Hall, a social welfare officer and residents from Ward 1 and 4. The issue of concern in the meeting, was poor methods of disposing litter within the community.
“Women are at the helm of littering the environment, as there are a number of cases where you get to come across pampers and sanitary wear lying in undesignated dumping sites,” said Khethiwe Moyo, a Health Club Worker.
Due to poor sewer reticulation services in the community, residents now have a tendency of practicing open defecation. Their behavior of open defecation is periodically done in the bushes and outside their homes.
“Residents are forced to practice open defecation as some of them do not have any toilets in their homes, as per the recommendation of the Council,” said Soneni Ndlovu, a Plumtree resident.
Last year, Plumtree Town Council abolished the utilisation of public toilets and encouraged residents to construct structures in their homes. Over the past couple of months, structures of public toilets have been demolished so as to speed up the process for members of the community to act on the instruction of the Council.
“Upon enquiry with the Council, it was mandated that residents ensure that they construct toilets as a matter of urgency as public toilets can no longer be let out to the community,” said Plumtree Ward 4 Councillor, Ndeketeya Tembo,
On the invasion of cattle in the community gardens, residents immediately drafted a letter which was endorsed with 73 signatures of members from Ward 1 and 4. The letter highlighted the plight that residents are faced with as their produce is continuously lost to cattle.
“The letter will be submitted to the Local Authority, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and to the resident Minister so as to proffer mitigation measures to the problem,” said Plumtree Ward 1 Councillor, Big-boy Magalane.
Residents also cited a rise in cases of children living without birth certificates, which leads to repercussions that therefore deprives them to an access to decent education.
Source: Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD)
