Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) has consistently prioritized community engagement to enhance local governance and service delivery. By establishing public forums that integrate residents into decision-making processes, GRRA fosters collaboration between citizens and local authorities.
A recent service delivery meeting organized by GRRA at the YWCA Hall exemplified this approach. The event brought together residents of Mkoba and representatives from the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission Distribution Company (ZETDC) to address pressing issues such as new electricity tariffs, vandalism, and load shedding. The meeting saw active participation from the community, reflecting a collective commitment to resolving these challenges.
Edward Nyoni, ZETDC’s Southern Region Marketing Officer, emphasized the importance of community cooperation in safeguarding electrical infrastructure:
“Our mandate as ZETDC is to make customers happy by supplying residents with electricity; hence consumers are also encouraged to protect ZETDC property in order to get maximum efficiency,” said Mr. Nyoni. He highlighted the detrimental impact of vandalism, noting that theft of transformer oil and copper wires exacerbates load shedding. Mr. Nyoni also urged residents to exercise caution during the rainy season to prevent accidents related to exposed electrical circuits.
Residents voiced their concerns and suggestions during the meeting. Ropafadzo Hove of Ward 10 stressed the need for improved communication regarding load shedding schedules:
“ZETDC needs to publish or circulate load shedding schedules on social media or the press for us to prepare our household chores. We understand the socio-economic crisis in our country, and if there is no communication, we suffer even worse,” she said.
Beyond electricity issues, attendees addressed other service delivery challenges, including water supply and refuse collection. Shamiso Masanha of Ward 9 called on the council to reconnect water services for residents who have settled their bills. She advocated for GRRA’s “demonstration by paying” initiative, encouraging residents to fulfill their payment obligations as a form of protest to prompt improved service delivery:
“I paid 880 RTGs but I am not getting any water. I have to pay for water next door so that I get water. At times, even though we pay for water, it discourages us to pay because you won’t get it. Even if I go to our councillor, they blame it on ZETDC. As residents, let’s stand up together, especially through GRRA’s idea of demonstration by paying, in order to improve service delivery and show them our rights,” she said. She further emphasized the importance of unity among residents to restore the pride of Gweru.
GRRA’s initiatives underscore the power of community-driven advocacy in addressing service delivery challenges. By facilitating dialogue between residents and service providers, GRRA promotes transparency, accountability, and collaborative problem-solving, paving the way for a more responsive and efficient local governance system.
