adminSifundiso Ndlovu Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO City Council’s plans to incorporate Emthunzini and Mbundane suburbs’ into its boundaries’ have hit a brick wall as government says the boundaries will remain unchanged for the next 10 years.
Although they fall under Umguza Rural District Council, the two new suburbs have been included in BCC’s master plan and the local authority intended to incorporate them under its wings.
However, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and National Housing, Cde Joel Biggie Matiza, told Chronicle that the government would not tamper with boundaries for the next 10 years.
“We are aware of the problems between Umguza and the BCC. But we won’t change boundaries as the Constitution does not allow that,” he said.
Cde Matiza said government was working to ensure that there is an improvement in service delivery in the affected areas. Among other essentials the two areas have no running water and sewerage facilities among others. The government’s stance comes as a disappointment to Emthunzini and Mbundane residents. Bulawayo United Residents Association Emthunzini chairman Cosmas Ncube said residents wanted their suburb to be incorporated into Bulawayo.
“As it is we haven’t had water for four days. No one seems to care. As residents we want to be incorporated into Bulawayo City Council,” he said.
Ncube said they were disappointed as they had been made to believe that the transfer of land from Umguza into the city was at an advanced stage.
“We were told that there are only financial issues that were being finalised. It’s disappointing because we hear some people calling us squatters,” he said.
Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo was not available for comment yesterday but in an interview recently, he said they looked forward to incorporating the two into the city as they wanted Bulawayo to grow.
derick.khumalo