• admin
• Chronicle
• December 23, 2011
• 46 views

Water cuts suspended

Chronicle Reporter
IN a major about-turn set to bring relief to residents, the Bulawayo City Council has suspended its widely criticised water disconnection exercise with immediate effect.

In an interview yesterday, the city’s Mayor, Councillor Thaba Moyo, said it would be evil to continue the exercise over the Christmas period, as it would spoil residents’ celebrations.
The local authority sent thousands of disconnection notices to residents in recent weeks, raising the fear that they would spend Christmas without water.
Council, in one of its most widespread disconnection exercises, was cracking down on more than two thirds of its account holders, in a bid to recover               $61 million owed by the ratepayers.

Although the extensive water cut-off programme was supposed to be carried out over the holidays, including weekends, Clr Moyo said it would be suspended and only continued after the New Year.

• admin
• Chronicle
• December 23, 2011
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MDC-T dismisses Copac report

Harare Bureau
A Copac national report published by The Herald yesterday has triggered a furore with MDC-T yesterday dismissing it while the other parties in the inclusive Government confirmed its authenticity.
MDC-T spokesperson and Copac co-chairperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora branded the report a “Zanu-PF document”.

However, in separate interviews, Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo and MDC Copac co-chairperson Mr Edward Mkhosi confirmed the authenticity of the report.
Cde Gumbo denied reports that Zanu-PF leaked the report to the Press adding that its authenticity and accuracy was not questionable.
“I have consulted with our Copac co-chairperson Cde Paul Mangwana and he said the document itself was accurate and authentic,” he said.

“He (Cde Mangwana) said the report actually reflected the views captured during the outreach programme. There is no question about its authenticity but it is not true to say that the report was done by Zanu-PF alone.”
He said Cde Mangwana had indicated that the report had been handed over to many people making it difficult to identify people responsible for the leak.
The views captured in the national report were mostly in line with the Zanu-PF position paper making MDC-T uncomfortable about the possible outcome of the whole constitution-making              process.

Cde Gumbo said Zanu-PF was aware of MDC-T machinations to twist the people’s views.

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• Chronicle
• December 23, 2011
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Travellers face transport blues

Chronicle Reporters
HUNDREDS of travellers are forced to spend nights at bus termini waiting for transport to their respective destinations owing to critical transport challenges this festive season.

Transporters in some of the major routes have since inflated fares, taking advantage of the large volume of travellers.
A snap survey by Chronicle yesterday revealed that some of the travellers at bus termini such as Nkulumane Complex, Entumbane Complex and Renkini Long Distance Bus Terminus had spent close to 24 hours waiting for transport to their destinations.

“I have been here since yesterday evening and transport is scarce and I don’t know when I will finally get transport to Nkayi as it stands,” said Mrs Sakhile Ndlovu at Renkini.
She said hundreds of other travellers had been stranded for a long time and were as a result forced to spend extra money they had saved for Christmas.

“The charges have also gone up, we used to pay $5 for a trip to Nkayi now it costs double, this is so unfair and something needs to be done because these people are cashing in on us,” said Mrs Ndlovu. A traveller intending to go to Harare, Mr Benjamin Goremucheche, said there were many people planning to travel this festive season, a development that put a strain on available transport.

“I think there are more people on the roads than the actual transport that must ferry them to their destinations,” said Mr Goremucheche.

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• Chronicle
• December 23, 2011
• 48 views

Shot in the arm for Bosso

By Sikhumbuzo Moyo
MINES and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu yesterday donated a set of 25 uniforms to Highlanders Football Club and urged the club executive to approach him if there were other burning issues that the club needed addressed.

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• Chronicle
• December 23, 2011
• 28 views

Zimra blamed for border congestion

Harare Bureau
CLEARING agents countrywide have accused the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority for causing delays and congestion at most ports of entry.