Residents of Chitungwiza have teamed up to address the service delivery challenges prevailing in the town that are being neglected by Chitungwiza Municipality. Among the major service delivery issues that has been neglected by the Municipality are roads.
The potholed and dongas road network has denied easy access of motor vehicles in to the street including the municipal refuse collection team who easily by pass without doing their duty.
Speaking to one of the residents Mr Antony Mupangani said the refuse collectors had for weeks been avoiding the route opting the residents to move their garbage towards the entrance of the street.
“The refuse collectors cannot get through this street due to the damages on the road which are deep trenches and whenever it is refuse collection day, we had a duty to carry our garbage down the street,” said Anthony Mupangani
Residents are turning to using sacks filled with soil to make up for the concrete and top up with little gravel they had accessed from the municipal in repairing their streets.
“When we issued the complain to the city council patterning the damaged road they first agreed in passing until we made a second attempt which has led to them giving in gravel but they said they could not provide us with many power so we had to do it ourselves” said another resident Mr Gift Sande.
The situation has been further dilapidated by the perennial sewage streams and heavy rains which are currently pounding the country.
“The sewage problem was reported months ago if not years but the council authorities have been so relaxed till now, it is double trouble for us residents to deal with,” continued Sande.
The sewage was reported before the rains had commenced and now see it (sewage) is further eroding the road and the council trucks cannot access to collect refuse.
Residents are complaining of poor service from the Municipality despite paying rates and rents.
“We are tired of this rubbish council which cannot provide services to us the residents whilst we fully pay for them,” said Mavis Chambakata of Ward 1, St Mary’s.
“The infrastructure situation has hit the rock bottom to an extent that the residents themselves have chosen to intervene with their own skill and knowledge in trying to minimise the damages by filling potholes using rubbles and gravel” said Mr Mupangani.
Mr Mupangani further explained that the authorities have to gear up performance in service provision at large and on road maintenance in particular whilst the situation is still containable unless they have other options.
