adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
TRADITONAL leaders and community members from Empandeni in Mangwe District have clashed with the local authority over the use of a community hall in Valukhalo area.The traditional leaders allege that the hall belongs to the community while the local authority maintains that the hall is council property.
Headman Zibuyeni from Empandeni said community members and traditional leaders resolved to turn the entire hall into a school but the council was resisting the move.
He said the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council workers that were running a youth centre from the hall had to move out.
“The hall has been operating as a youth centre all along but we decided to open a secondary school last year because our children were being deprived of high school education.
“We’ve realised that the section which is being used for the school is very small and as traditional leaders we decided that the entire hall has to be turned into a school. As a community we saw it fit to move the youth centre to another community hall within the area,” said Headman Zibuyeni.
He said the council was, however, against the idea as they argued that the hall should accommodate both the youth centre and the school. Headman Zibuyeni said the community felt it was inappropriate for pupils to be close to the ZNFPC condom distributing point.
He said the community hall belonged to villagers who constructed it.
The headman said the community had the authority to decide on how the hall should be utilised.
He said the ZNFPC started operating from the community hall without the villagers’ approval. The senior village head of Empandeni area, Thomas Ncube said community members resolved to turn the hall into a school.
“We had a great challenge because our children weren’t attending secondary school. We then resolved that the children would learn from the hall while classroom blocks were being constructed.
“As a community we handed over the hall to the school and agreed that the hall would be located within the school. The council however in the process of pegging the school area left out the community hall in a bid to protect the family planning council,” said Ncube.
He said it was inappropriate for pupils to learn while squashed yet ZNFPC occupies part of the hall.
Mangwe Rural District Council chief executive officer, Nketha Mangoye Dlamini said contrary to allegations by traditional leaders, the hall was council property.
He said the youth centre opened in 2000 with the consent of villagers.
“The hall is council property as it was built using funds from the World Vision. The villagers contributed some building material and assisted with manpower. The hall was given to the community to use and manage but it remains council property,” said Dlamini.
He said the local authority had the right to override the decision by community members and traditional leaders to turn the hall into a school.
He said the council was responsible for the district’s development.
Dlamini said the youth centre would continue operating from the hall as it also housed a clinic.
Online Reporter