Online Reporter
Online Reporter
WARD 26 Councillor and Chairperson of the City of Bulawayo’s Finance and Development Committee, Councillor Mpumelelo Moyo, has called on local authorities to honour the country’s liberation heroes by prioritising improved service delivery, saying the greatest tribute to those who fought for independence is ensuring residents receive quality municipal services.
In a statement ahead of Heroes Day commemorations on Monday, Clr Moyo said councillors should use the occasion to recommit themselves to delivering efficient services in line with Government’s minimum service delivery standards and President Mnangagwa’s call for “no compromise to service delivery” by local authorities.
He said the sacrifices made by liberation war heroes had created opportunities for black Zimbabweans to participate in leadership, business and other sectors of society, making it incumbent upon today’s leaders to serve citizens diligently.
“Those who sacrificed their lives during the liberation struggle gave us the opportunity to become leaders in our own country. The best way we can honour both the living and departed heroes is by providing residents with decent service delivery,” said Clr Moyo.
He said before independence, black Zimbabweans had limited opportunities to hold leadership positions such as serving as councillors, adding that the liberation struggle had transformed the country’s political and economic landscape.
Clr Moyo said councillors owed it to the country’s heroes and heroines to repay their sacrifices through dedicated public service.
He pointed to recent efforts by the City of Bulawayo to improve sanitation infrastructure, including the rehabilitation of sewer choke hotspots across the city.
The council recently commissioned rehabilitated sewer infrastructure at five identified hotspots, including sites behind the Amakhosi Cultural Centre, North End, Mahatshula, Nkulumane 12 and Mpopoma, as part of a programme targeting 39 problematic locations this year.
Clr Moyo said the local authority had also contracted four companies to accelerate the clearance of sewer blockages, while the Water and Sanitation Department was spearheading the rehabilitation programme.
He also highlighted the city’s housing programme, which aims to provide 20,000 residential stands at Hyde Park to address Bulawayo’s housing backlog, with more than 5,000 stands already surveyed.
Clr Moyo said such initiatives demonstrated the city’s commitment to restoring dignity to residents through improved service delivery.
“As we commemorate Heroes Day, we should strive to make our living and departed heroes proud by delivering adequate services to the people of Bulawayo,” he said.
