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Closing the Divide: Strengthening Gweru’s Resident-Councillor Relationship

Closing the Divide: Strengthening Gweru’s Resident-Councillor Relationship

In Gweru, a city teeming with diverse communities and evolving political and social landscapes, the gap between residents and their local representatives has long been a challenge to sustainable development.

Councillors, tasked with representing thousands of residents, often struggle to grasp the full spectrum of issues within their wards.

Meanwhile, residents, unsure of how to engage with their elected leaders, have faced hurdles in demanding accountability and transparency.

To address these challenges, Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) initiated ward-based meetings as platforms for open dialogue and mutual accountability.

These meetings aim to empower residents to hold their leaders accountable and scrutinize their performance, fostering a culture of transparency and cooperation.

The ward-based meetings have emerged as critical tools for bridging the communication gap. Ward 4 Councillor Martin Chivhoko shared the transformative impact of these engagements.

“These ward-based meetings have improved our communication with residents. We better understand their problems or challenges, and they have created platforms to craft solutions for our communities,” he said.

However, Chivhoko acknowledged the obstacles posed by political polarization. “Mobilizing the community has been difficult because of the polarized political environment.

The mentality that a councillor’s effectiveness depends on their political party affiliation needs to change.

The challenges we face—be it water shortages, waste management, or infrastructure—affect everyone regardless of their political leanings. We must come together as residents to tackle these social evils.”

Residents, who once felt distanced from their councillors, are now finding these forums empowering and transformative.

Nobhokosi Mzimukhulu, a resident of Ward 4, expressed her gratitude for the initiative. “These meetings have created interactive forums that offer key information to stakeholders, bringing together the various actors involved in local governance.

We now have access to information about governance issues, making participation easier and oversight more powerful. Before, we only saw our councillors on the ballot paper. Now, we meet them and realize they are residents like us,” she said.

Ward 10 resident Elizabeth Hove echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the role of GRRA in fostering awareness.

“GRRA has enlightened us and made us fully aware of our God-given rights. We are more informed about governance, and council workers no longer close our water connections because we now understand our rights,” she said.

Through these ward-based meetings, GRRA has not only opened channels of communication but has also laid the foundation for collaborative problem-solving.

Residents and councillors alike are finding common ground, enabling the crafting of tailored solutions to address pressing issues.

The initiative underscores the importance of transcending political divides to achieve shared goals for community development.

The lessons from Gweru highlight the power of communication for development. By creating spaces where residents and leaders can engage meaningfully, the city is taking steps toward building a more inclusive, transparent, and accountable local governance system.

In the words of Councillor Chivhoko, “We must come together to tackle these challenges, because the solutions we create today will shape the future of our communities.”

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