Thembekile Nlebgwa
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) once again demonstrated the power of constructive civic engagement when it exhibited at the two-day NANGO Midlands Region NGO Expo & Winter School, held 16–17 July 2025 at the Gweru Civic Centre under the theme “Localisation as a Game Changer: CSOs Advancing Local Solutions for Development Effectiveness.”
The event brought together government, private-sector partners, academia and more than 60 civil-society organisations committed to a just, inclusive and sustainable Zimbabwe by 2030.
At its stand, GRRA highlighted how its Engagement-for-Progress (E4P) model transforms resident concerns into evidence-based dialogue with duty bearers, strengthening transparency and accountability in all 19 wards of Gweru.
The model’s results, regular citizen-council interface meetings, youth & women round-tables and community accountability forums, illustrate that engagement, not confrontation, drives sustainable service delivery.
Guest of Honour, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs & Devolution (Midlands) Hon. Owen Ncube, toured the exhibition and applauded GRRA’s professional, solutions-oriented approach:
“Continue to be torch-bearers for residents. Let’s avoid making noise and focus on engagement for progress.”
His words echoed his long-held view that devolution succeeds when local authorities, residents and civil society pull in the same direction.
GRRA Executive Director Cornilia Selipiwe welcomed the endorsement, noting that the Expo “allowed us to present evidence-based narratives that validate and make our work visible.”
GRRA’s presence underscored that devolved governance only works when residents shape priorities and hold leaders to account.
Health, education, disability, youth, media and environmental groups stood shoulder-to-shoulder—proof that localisation is not a slogan but a practice.
By amplifying constructive citizen voices, GRRA directly supports Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 and the Second Republic’s devolution drive championed by President Mnangagwa.
“An enabling environment ensures that civil society can promote accountability and transparency in local governance,” Selipiwe concluded, urging continued collaboration long after the Expo.
