adminZvamaida Murwira in Lupane
MEMBERS of the public have criticised legislators for shunning rural and remote areas when conducting public hearings on issues of national importance. They complained that lawmakers confined themselves to urban areas. This came out during a consultative meeting held jointly by the portfolio committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Human Rights and Peace and Security Senate Thematic committee on the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Bill.
The committees held public hearings in Kwekwe, Gweru, Victoria Falls, Plumtree, Hwange Lupane, Bulawayo, Marondera, Mutare, Chinhoyi, among other cities and towns last week.
During a meeting held in Bulawayo at the weekend, participants rapped legislators for shunning rural communities where the majority of Zimbabweans resided choosing instead to visit urban areas where there were better facilities and social amenities.
This was after head of delegation and Harare West MP Jessie Majome (MDC-T) had apologised for a late start and outlined the areas they had visited.
“You are moving around cities and towns and never visiting rural areas like Tsholotsho and Kezi.
“The majority of people reside in rural areas and they bear the brunt of conflict and it is pertinent that you visit these areas. But the tendency for you legislators is to avoid these places because they are remote and lack better social amenities,” said Alfred Ncube of Tsholotsho.
Participants said it did not make sense to convene a meeting on peace building, reconciliation in an urban area leaving rural communities who constituted victims of such vices. Another participant, Lungiso Bhebhe rapped organisers of the hearing for conducting the Bulawayo consultative meeting at a five star hotel instead of going to high density suburbs where majority of people stayed.
“Those who came here are those that have cars or who were lucky to borrow 5 Rand for transport. Why not convening it in Makokoba, Pumula, Nketa where there are people,” he said.
In Lupane, Amakhosi theatre production founder, Cont Mhlanga echoed the same sentiments and complained why Bills were only written in English. “We need Bills to be written in vernacular languages like Ndebele, Tonga and Nambia,” said Mhlanga, now resident in his rural area in Lupane.
Most people who rose to make contributions criticized the Bill saying it should not be passed in its present form owing to “sweeping” powers that it conferred on the responsible Minister.
Others said the NPRC should prioritise political disturbances that occurred during the 1980s in the Matabeleland areas and Midlands if sustainable peace was to be achieved.
Online Reporter