Sebenzela: Residents of Bulawayo Ward 25 volunteer to dig storm drain and clean their environment

Written by Lewis Jones, ZDDT Field Correspondent Friday, 09 September 2011 11:36

BULAWAYO – During a recent visit to Cllr. Ndlovu’s Ward Twenty Five, Nketa Township, a team from the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust discovered voluntary workers hard at work improving their environment.



The Trust officials found a group resplendent in their SEBENZELA bibs, engrossed with the task of excavating a storm-drain along a road in the Township.

A local resident, Mrs. Sithabile Hlongwane, said that, as the rainy season was fast approaching and considering that the City is challenged by inadequate resources, the community believed that it should take ownership and carry out the work. This took place with the cooperation and guidance of local Municipal Officers.

The SEBENZELA Programme encourages communities to take responsibility for their circumstances. This prompts self-reliance and links these essential attributes to effective local empowerment which the Trust fosters through advocacy.

Sebenzela Programme moves forward

The digging of the storm drain forms part of a series of activities that fall under ZDDT’s SEBENZELA / Work for ... Programme.

While in Ward 25 Team ZDDT caught up with an environmental clean-up in progress.

When asked to comment on the activity, group leader Mrs. Thandi Nkiwane said;

“We volunteer to do this work because it is known that the City Council struggles to provide good services due to inadequate resources.” She agreed that their work would assist the Local Authority by easing the burden placed on it, in order that scarce funding may be channelled to areas of priority.

Mrs. Nkiwane was of the opinion that this could ultimately lead to improved service delivery, since appreciative residents would consequently feel encouraged to pay their dues to the Municipality.