Online Reporter
Diana Nherera
Harare mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume says one of the objectives of establishing a Junior Council is part of initiatives to create safe cities.
Speaking at the 73rd City of Harare Junior Council inauguration in Harare on Thursday, Cllr Mafume said the issue of the 13-year-old girl who was abused at the Julia Zvobgo Street (formerly Rezende Street) bus rank is part of the issues junior councillors should teach people about.
“You know the debate about a 13-year-old girl who was abused by a commuter omnibus driver. That’s part of your responsibility, raising awareness around those issues, creating a safe city for children.
“You saw the comments about fellow kombi drivers who attempted to blame the girl’s dressing for the abuse she suffered. I understand he (the kombi driver) apologised after the backlash.
“That shows you the extent of the work that we have ahead of us in terms of creating a safe city. That is part of the things we expect a Junior Council to teach people about, to speak about, to create a safe city, to create safe public transport,” he said.
In his acceptance speech, Junior Harare mayor Cllr Otheniel Gotora promised his council will do everything it can to fulfill its responsibilities and improve the lives of Harare youths.
National Junior Council coordinator in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works (youth desk), Mr Darlington Mupfupi, said the role of junior councillors is crucial in shaping the future of communities and contributing to the realisation of Vision 2030.
“This national development strategy aims to transform our country into an upper middle-income economy characterised by sustainable growth, social equity and inclusive prosperity,” he said.
He said junior councillors will be working in a challenging context, tackling issues such as substance abuse, service delivery and climate change.
Mr Mupfupi urged the Government to listen to the junior councillors and value their insights.
“Their generation will inherit challenges of climate change, substance abuse and infrastructure decay and they may also hold the solutions,” he said.
“To our junior councillors, we are counting on you to contribute to the realisation of Vision 2030 and build a prosperous, sustainable future for all Zimbabweans.”
