Events unfolding in Gweru bring to mind the literature novel titled “Coming of the Dry Season.” While ordinarily the month of November heralds the opening of the season of goodwill the reverse seems to be true in the “tide of affairs” in the city. Daggers are drawn and being sharpened for the slaughter. In all this, the resident is the victim and always the loser.
Everything concerned with general service delivery and civic affairs governance issues seems to be on auto pilot heading southwards. Things are falling apart by each passing day. The genesis of a process towards the dreaded coming in of the widely abhorred Minister appointed Commission is fast gathering momentum. The seeds have been sown. The tell–tale signs of the laying of a solid base from which to justify the Commission’s appointment are being meticulously crafted by those who stand to benefit the most from the removal of a democratically elected Council and supplanting it with an un-elected grouping of people.
We wish to apologise for our unconventionally approach of “blowing the whistle before a crude foul is committed” but the love for our City of Progress weighs heavily upon us. It places the burden of seeking to avert the impending catastrophe on all caring residents of Gweru and all friends of Gweru” and to be vigilant and seek ways to avert this impending injustice.
The spectra of the coming in of a Commission to run the affairs of the City of Gweru is fast shaping up into a sad reality. It is “dejavu” – we have been there before. We have seen how this script played out in the past and an almost similar script has been crafted. From the way events on the ground are unfolding, if not checked this undemocratic contraption where the city affairs are placed in the hands of un-elected persons who are only answerable to the appointing Minister, shall soon be our miserable reality.
As Guprarda Trust we waited in the faint hope that we would be invited to make our submissions by the Ministry’s investigating team, but no such invitation materialized until the team left Town house on Thursday, 7th November 2019. We then decided to write a letter to the Minister registering our concerns.
Source: Gweru United Progressive Residence & Ratepayers Development Association Trust