Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) yesterday said violent demonstrations and vandalism of property has left the municipality incapacitated to fix some of the damaged infrastructure which requires foreign currency.
Violent youths belonging to the opposition MDC among other protesters unleashed terror in most western suburbs on Monday and Tuesday destroying property while looting from shops.
Property worth millions of dollars was destroyed during the violent episodes.
Bulawayo Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube slammed the violent protests saying it would take a long time for council to fix its vandalised property.
“One of our satellite offices in Entumbane was hugely vandalised. Items like robots and street lighting equipment — these are not things that are readily available in the country. Foreign currency will be needed which shows that for us to fix these items we have to get foreign currency which is not readily available,” said Mr Dube.
“Before we get that foreign currency it means we have to stay with dysfunctional robots and just imagine what will happen with the number of cars on the roads, it may be problematic for some motorists.”
He said he was dismayed by barbaric acts where protesters destroyed infrastructure that they use on a daily basis.
Mr Dube said the protests served no purpose if they leave the city worse off.
“Demonstrations are provided for in the Constitution. But people cannot then destroy their own infrastructure, their livelihood, destroying roads, destroying shops that provide them with food. Surely that’s barbaric, even if you check social services. We are council and we provide social services,” he said.
“So during their demonstrations against government they should do so within their constitutional rights. They should protect their assets. It’s their assets. They were even interfering with Fire and Ambulance Services. Things that are meant to help people. It’s terrible. I’ve seen demonstrations before but I’ve never seen anything of this nature. Having an ambulance being escorted by the police? An ambulance should just do its job without any interference.” He said senior council managers have been reporting for duty even during the height of protests.
Mr Dube said commuting employees were the most affected during the period.
“As senior managers we have been coming, but some middle managers have been failing to come. In our meeting this morning what was apparent was that some employees might not have been coming because they use public transport. There is no public transport.
“All senior managers who drive reported for duty. The traffic has started picking up. We’re hoping that by tomorrow everything will be normal. What we pray for is that the public transport system starts operating,” said Mr Dube. — @nqotshili
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