peter
Johnsias Mutonhori, Midlands Correspondent
RESIDENTS of Gweru have written a letter asking the local authority to rescind the decision to auction property seized from residents who defaulted on settling council bills, threatening radical action if council refuses to concede.
The letter that was written by the Community Action Group (CAG) and addressed to Acting Town Clerk Vakai Chikwekwe asking council to reverse the auctioning of residents’ property saying the decision was rushed and was a violation of the pending negotiations between the two parties.
“It was with great consternation and disappointment that we received news that Gweru City Council was permitting the auctioning of property seized from residents who had defaulted on council debts to go ahead. We felt that council would see reason and suspend this process since the issue of property seizure and auctioning was one of the issues tabled by the residents collectively at a meeting we held with council,” the letter reads.
The Community Action Group, which is an amalgamation of residence association, vendors, senior citizens, youths and people with disabilities held a meeting with the Gweru City Council where they petitioned council to terminate the decision to auction residents’ property.
The city council promised to respond to the issues raised but is said to have failed to do so, only to recently effect the auctioning of the residents’ property. The residents, through CAG, however, threatened to go radical to force council to accede to their demands of abandoning the auctioning of their property if council refuses a chance at peaceful dialogue.
“We feel betrayed and abused. The town house is stringing us along and playing us for fools. We demand that the auctioning of council debt related property be suspended while we give dialogue a chance. We have a cocktail of initiatives in our arsenal which we can use to compel council to grant our demands,” reads part of the letter by CAG.
Responding to the letter, GCC spokesperson Vimbai Chingwaramuse did not deny nor confirm that council had approved the auctioning of property. She, however, indicated that there was room for negotiations between council and residents’ associations to find a solution.
“We are for engagement and we believe in continuous engagement with our valued residents. For Gweru to be a better Gweru we need to engage with the stakeholders for the betterment of the city. This is exactly what we have been doing and we hope to reach an understanding to ensure the provision of quality services,” she said.
Online Reporter