Shandira Sebenzela: September action

Tuesday, 03 November 2009 13:36

ZDDTs community based empowerment programme continues - Luveve and Nkulumane in Bulawayo are the latest to benefit.

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Ward 22 Councillor Mr. Thaba P. Moyo’s representative, Mrs. Flora Mutig, led her local Community Action Team (CAT) in a clean up at Nkulumane Hall and Clinic on 4th of August 2009.

The exercise was carried out over a period of eight days, involving many volunteers and the CAT.  

Two reasons were given for choosing the hall.

Firstly, the venue is located next to the busy Nkulumane Shopping Centre, and this ensured that the work done was highly visible.

Secondly, some unscrupulous residents were dumping litter and rubble inside the hall premises which, as well as being unsightly, was adding to the hygiene problem within the community. It took Bulawayo City Council (BCC) compacters several trips to clear the rubbish outside the damaged fence. The final touch to the clean up was to re-paint the trees and stone rockeries within the hall’s perimeter fence with “snolime” whitewash.  
                                
One major problem that residents are most likely to face is how to maintain and keep the hall clean. “Establishing a weekly routine for the collection of litter bins will surely help keep the Hall clean much longer. We will certainly need to work with the city council to ensure that our litter bins are collected”, said Mrs. Flora Mutig.

To compliment the CAT’s effort, a public notice board was put up by the City Council after the clean up. It will help residents display their domestic advertisements and keep all residents in the loop. A personal gesture from the City Council,  which is greatly appreciated by the community!

Luveve (Ward 15) Councillor, Mr. Israel Mabaleka, organised a clean up on 24th of  August 2009. His Community Action Team (CAT) chose areas near the local shopping centre to maximise publicity.

The Housing Office and Beit Hall, situated along the busy Luveve Road, became the centre of activity.

At least forty volunteers, most of whom were elderly women, took part. One member of the Community Action Team (CAT) commented, “Iprogramme le siyayibonga kakhulu, Iyenza sibambane ngoba isiletha ndawonye. (We are grateful for this programme. It unites us because it brings us together)”.    

Volunteers cleaned the Beit Hall premises to assist the caretaker in charge. Mabaleka pointed out that, “Kuvele kulomuntu ogcina iBeit Hall, kodwa sizam’nceda ukuyitshiya ihlanzekile (Regardless of the fact that the Beit Hall has a caretaker, we will help to clean it up)”.

Cllr. Mabaleka says his next project will be to cut the grass at the football grounds because, in addition to being unsightly, it attracts vermin and provides a dumping ground for trash.