Innocent Victims Of The Economic Meltdown

Recently I have had  conversations  with two young girls who have been rendered "orphans" because of the debilitating economic meltdown which  Zimbabwe has been  experiencing for the past decade or more.

Innocent Victims Of The Economic Meltdown

The first is a sixteen year old girl who is studying towards her Ordinary Level examinations in October this year.I discovered that her mother passed away when she was three months old and her father ended up going to the Republic of South Africa to seek greener pastures.She was left in her father's older brother and his wife to care for her.The painful part of the story is the fact that she has not had the pleasure of knowing her father at all since she became aware of her paternity.For a girl child this can be very painful since girl children normally form very close bonds with their fathers.She went on to disclose the fact that she was told that her father had remarried. Whilst her Uncle had tried to reach out to his younger brother so that he could take responsibility for his daughter, the phone always goes unanswered.At the time of writing she still has not heard from her father.The saving grace is the fact that the Uncle is doing a splendid job of raising her.

The other case is a thirteen year old girl who has just started her secondary education and she broke down in the clasroom.After calming her down and asking her what the problem was ,she intimated that she missed her mother.She said that her mother was  had gone to RSA four years ago and has never come back nor has she called. The mother has not bothered to check on  about her welfare  at all.At the moment she is being looked after by her father's sister.The father is a subsistence farmer more than two hundred kilometres away.In someways this girl seems to feel that she has been abandoned twice.

Whilst I understand that things are difficult here but please lets try and be responsible for the lives we created.

Women's Unending War With Dust

I always watch with bemusement the lengths some women go in order to combat dust and dirt so as to fit in with their peers.

Women's Unending War With Dust

Early in the morning, as soon as their children go to school, these housewives take to their brooms and scrubbing brushes and floor polish. Their quest is to make their floors as shiny as they can. They will toil and scrub and rub and clean until the floors are like mirrors. Only then are they happy and can then proceed to do other household chores I am not in any way belittling the wonderful work they do but just cannot reconcile their reasons for doing what they do.Half the time this is done because they don’t want the Mother of so and so to find their house dirty.So the reason is not really cleanliness but the need to conform or the fear of failing to conform ;then being turned into the laughingstock of the neighborhood.I have always maintained that even grownups suffer from peer pressure because this is definitely a form of peer pressure. Woe betide  the young ones should they come back from school and then absentmindedly wander into the house wearing their shoes. The mother will shout at the top of their voices for the offending shoes to be removed lest the wearer has his/her back tanned.The shoes are supposed to be removed and left outside the door or held and taken to the place where they are normally placed.

Homes which are supposed to be enjoyed by all who live in them are turned into no go areas for the young ones, they only get some respite when the father comes back from work ;if he is lucky enough to be formally employed. More often than not nowadays, he would be coming from a weird case of cat and mouse with the Riot Police for a space on the city streets. As vending has now become the biggest “employer” in the country. If however the father is also a serial shouter then the young kids do not have anywhere to seek refuge.These places of human habitat are turned into showrooms for the mothers friends to admire and coo over.In the process these ladies turn the floor polish vendors into fully employed individuals as they are assured of a constant stream of customers who buy their ware.

Surely if one cleans the house in the morning and the children then come and mess it up ,it should be alright.The well being of the family should weigh much more than the mother’s need for reassurance from her friends and extended family.

It Is An Election Year Again

It is the silly season again in Zimbabwe,most trees rocks ,durawalls or any flat surface is adorned with Banting belonging to the multitude of parties. These have mushroomed since the dramatic events last November which saw the forcible removal of the nonagenarian Mugabe, in order to save him from the abuse he was purportedly suffering at the hands of people who were taking advantage of his advanced age.

Its An Election Year Again

Suddenly ,a thousand flowers have been allowed to bloom,the populace is embracing their new found ‘freedom’ wholeheartedly and the proof is in the number of parties that have since emerged to either challenge for the Presidential seat or just a seat in the public assembly or on the various council chambers across the length and breadth of the country. Whether this is helpful for the country or not is debatable but suffice to say that after a painful period of thirty-seven painful years the nation seems to be able to dream again.It is true for most of the candidates ,their s is an exercise in futility but at least they can dare to hope.Now  anyone who has the money to pay the election commission in order to be put on the ballot box has exercised that right .If ever there was a need to reaffirm the fervent need this country yearned for democracy this is a sure sign. Among the candidates who are in the running are disgruntled members from all the major political parties who will be standing as Independents because they are not happy for the way in which the various primary election s were held in the former parties they belonged to.

Perhaps the precedence was set by the Honourable Temba Muliswa ,the member of parliament representing Norton ,who was kicked out of the ruling party but was able to successfully run as an Independent candidate.So in essence a lot of the Independent candidates are simply running in order to ‘cut the nose in order to spite the face’ so to say.This then begs the question ‘do they really have anything meaningful to offer the populace or are their simply do thus for their own selfish ends .

Sadly our political space is full of people who believe their personality is what should determine whether they are elected or not.

By now almost anybody who watches the news knows that we have another disputed election result again but the lives of the populace does not seem to have improved in anyway to add to our woes is the outbreak of Cholera and dysentery and the needless loss of lives.

The Pain Of Losing A Parent

I remember it as if was yesterday. It does not matter that it happened way back in 1994,there are times the wound is so fresh I could swear it happened yesterday.

The Pain Of Losing A Parent

My mother had been on high blood pressure for a very long time , I was only able to piece together the bits and pieces of the puzzle slowly over a long period of time.This was the result of an accident which left my eldest sister burnt and she was hospitalized .For a time it was touch and go ,I gathered later ,the accident having happened well before I was even conceived so no one in the family really talked about it .I supposed this was because of the trauma that she  had gone through.During that ordeal ,my mother was to be diagnosed with high blood pressure and she started taking medication.

When I was born ,I understand she had already been on the meds for sometime.I was her last born son and I must say she loved me dearly and I believe now she spoiled me a little bit although I am not your typical mama’s boy. being the youngest ,I remember growing up and going to school and the only constant in my life was my mother.My siblings are all much older than me ,so they had completed school at the local primary school and had gone on to secondary schools far from home and my father could only come to visit during public holidays from his work in Harare.

In time,I was also able to outgrow the primary school and trekked to Harare for further education.I would just bear the idea of staying away from my mother  for the three months which constituted the school term,the day immediately after schools closed without fail, I would be on the first available bus for the rural home where my mother would be .

Whilst in college,I realized that my mother was no longer as strong as she used to be and I discovered that she was taking these medicines .It wasn’t a secret but I guess I had previously been too young to comprehend all that was happening around me.I would try and do my best to cover as much work as I could during the three or four weeks of the school vacation but I guess is was never enough now was it ?

I remember in 1993 ,when she was taken ill and my father , who was a pensioner then brought her to the family home ion then town of Chitungwiza(a dormitory town 20 kilometers from Harare)so that we could seek medical attention from a private doctor who operated a surgery quite close to our house.After many tests were conducted and much going to and fro ,it was later discovered that she had cancer of the eosophagus.She could not hold down any food let alone liquids like water.She was refered to one of  the main referral hospital at Harare Hospital.After undergoing several chemotherapy treatments she was discharged and we were told to bring her to hospital for check-up and to have her medication replenished.

Watching her struggling and waste away a on a daily basis from the lack of nourishment was heartbreaking, nothing seed to make sense then.Life was a slog .Whenever I had to leave home and go into town , my thoughts would be troubled ,I always feared that I could come back to find her gone.We were blessed as a family that her sisters would take turns to come and help look after her but the dreadful thoughts that one had especially at night was one which hardly made it possible for one to sleep.This was reduced to cat naps with one ear turned to the next room to try and find out if all was still alright.After a few months of this existence ,her sister finally arranged to take her home and we hired a station wagon were she could lie at the back with the back seat folded as at the time she could no longer walk nor sit.Little did I know that this would be the last time I would ever see her alive because two weeks after her departure I got a call that she had passed away and we had to start arrangements to lay her remains  to rest at the family grave yard in the rural area of Makoni South in Manicaland province.

Although I was a full-grown man with a wife and family at the time ,the loss was mind blowing .It took time for me to take it into my stride.One of the reason why I seemed to struggle with the loss was the fact that I was unable to grieve ,I shut all the emotions inside where no one could see them and tried as hard as I could to function like a normal being .I grew up at a time when most males were taught that one never showed their emotions in public,you would have to bottle these up lest you be known as someone less of a man and would be ridiculed. The truth is that I was cut up. Whilst my mind rationalized that maybe this was better for her because no human being is supposed to suffer as she had .To make the matter worse she would always put on a brave face and would ask me whether I was eating and sleeping well and I would lie to her that all was well do not think for a moment that I was able to fool her though,she was my mother after all.

Twenty-four years later the loss of my father to rob me of the remaining parent made me relive these emotions once more and to tell the truth it is as bitter as the first time I experienced it.

Chitungwiza Residents Caught In A Debt Trap

Some of the residents of the dormitory town of Chitungwiza ,which lies twenty odd kilometers  southwest of the the capital city Harare have been severely affected by the dire economic and social hardships prevailing in the country.

Chitungwiza Residents Caught In A Debt Trap

Most of the residents are owing the Town council for  rates for  amounts between one hundred and fifty dollars  whilst others  are owing as much as three thousand dollars.During the past month ,the cash strapped council has had to employ the services of debt collectors who went around giving the residents  in arrears letters of demand.As a result the town council headquarters has been a hive of activity as people went to plead for time to pay off the outstanding amounts .

Obviously, the closure of  most  of the businesses that were operating at the industrial complex has not made the situation any easier. Quite a fair number of residents of Chitungwiza used to employed there .The economic downturn experienced by the whole country since 2000 has affected people all over the country with resultant loss of jobs and levels of unemployment  hovering around 90% of the population. Therefore the average income for most households has been seriously hampered.

The result of the depressed economic activities in the industrial area and the country in general  has ensured a vicious circle that has resulted in the council failing to have enough resources to ensure that services are delivered to the residents satisfaction.

Follow Your Heart

I had a disturbing yet interesting chat with a friend of mine whom I normally use as a sound board for any ideas I might have .I had intimated to her that I was in the process of reinventing myself and was involved in the construction industry with a view to starting my own company and creating a legacy for my grandchildren. I was taken aback by what she said ,which summed up to the effect that I was too old and I was supposed to have had these ambitions when I was 25 years old .

Follow Your Heart

Here is a young college graduate who was telling me that my life at fifty odd years is over and I have to prepare for death. If there is anything I have discover of late ,it’s the fact that one cannot stop learning new skills and strive to be better than what they are .I used to be a voracious reader of novels but have since discovered the power of motivational books. One of my nephews, who is studying for his second degree at a university in South Africa, sent me a pdf of the book; THE SLIGHT EDGE by Jeff Olson.I have since learnt that the the tiny steps which one take if one sustains  them and is consistent in implementing them then one would be surprised by the giant steps that one can achieve, so it was in this vein that I was trying to make a few changes to my own situation by not sitting on my laurels and mourning and winging about the difficult economic situation that the country faces in particular the dearth of meaningful employment.

The chance meeting which thrust me into managing a building project for some gentlemen eight months ago, opened my eyes to the endless opportunities which are abound in the construction industry. I have always believed in making my own luck, if one makes an effort and put their profile out there then people are bound to see it ,chances are one or two will take a chance. The most important thing is the fact that one should never  limit themselves.The advance of the Internet has made it very  easy to acquire skills if one just has a few dollars to buy data bundles and the elbow grease to punch the keyboard of a computer .Most of the information that we require to improve ourselves is found on the world wide web.

There are a lot of people who have been inspirational in reaffirming my thinking ;one is the South African musical icon ;Sipho ‘Hotsticks’ Mabuse ,who sat for his matriculation certificate at sixty plus years of age.If my memory serves me well ,there was and old man in Kenya who went to grade one ,when he was 76 years old because he wanted to be able to read his bible.One Zimbabwean whose business exploits I have followed for quite sometime , the world beater Strive Masiyiwa.If his story does not tell one of the need to pursuit ones convictions to their logical conclusion then I don’t know what else can motivate a person.In one of his writings on his facebook page ,he talks about the fact that he started and failed in many business venture but that never deterred him.The fact that he went on to pioneer the mobile business in Zimbabwe is now common knowledge.

Legend has it that Colonel Sanders,the American founder of the multinatioinal  KFC,started the business when after retiring  and finding that his pension payout could not meet his requirements.The business he started from his kitchen is now known in all continents of the world.

So given the many people who have pursued their dreams and have achieved phenomenal success,then why should I not dream with my eyes open and follow my heart. 

How I Got To Love Caps United Football Club

In the year 1977,I was fortunate to move  to the capital city ,Harare, in search of better educational facilities .The rural area where I had grown up to that stage did not have a secondary school combined with the fact that the liberation war was at its fiercest.

How I Got To Love Caps United FC

I was fortunate that I had a cousin brother who was much older than me who was already working and living in the city, naturally he took me under his wing but he was very reluctant to have me accompany me to go and watch him play at football games ,I had by chance learnt that he played for Caps Rovers ,the football team for the company he worked for at the time called Caps Pharmaceuticals. At the time the team campaigned in the first division ,which was one tier below than the premier league in the land .One can just imagine my excitement when he invited me to go watch football matches as his guest. What used to surprise me in the first weeks following the invitation was the fact that almost every time I when to his lodgings in-order to accompany him to his matches ,I would find the place vacant. In subsequent weeks  I would wake up very early and prepare before going to his place where I would wait patiently whilst he prepared. I was later to find out that the reason why he would leave me behind was because of the fact that he had several girlfriends he constantly took to these matches.

Like any boy my age I had developed a keen interest in football and had horned my skill in the village’s dusty football pitch, I was awe-struck when I had the opportunity to sit with these ‘Legends’ at the stadium whilst waiting for the B team to complete their fixtures,then they would come on to warm up to the roar of approval from the expectant crowd. My excitement was palpable since I had the fortune of seeing my elder brother parading in the team regalia, I believe I was the first one from my family to have witnessed him exhibiting his skills at such a level, very few people back home actually knew that he played football semi-professionally.

The following season the team was promoted to the premier division in the land, my brother and I were inseparable at the home games, the only games which I did not attend were those that were placed out of the Capital city because of my school commitments. This was also the year the team changed its name to Caps United Football Club so one would say I was there at the inception of the great club that has gone to became known as ‘Cup Kings’ the country’s cup specialists as they rarely lost in the many cup finals that they took part in.

Later the club was to acquire the services of the late Joel ‘Jubblie’ Shambo also known by his many followers as ‘The Headmaster’,the late Stanley ‘Sinyo’ Ndunduma ,Stanford ‘Stix’ Mtizwa and the indisputable ‘Mr Goals’ Shakeman Tauro.This was the core of the team which lead them to sweep all before them and propel the team to campaign in Africa against teams from Nigeria and elsewhere on the continent. One hapless team from Mauritius was hammered  seven nil, those were the heady years when the team was at its very best.

Water Woes Bedevil Chitungwiza

It is a fact that Water is life and its absence results in a lot of anguish and heartache especially among the women and children in our patriarchal society.

Water Woes Bedevil Chitungwiza

Our society dictates that women and girls are solely responsible for the upkeep of the family kitchens and the chores which go with the maintenance of the same.Recent events which have seen erratic and intermittent supply of the precious liquid which is responsible for the smooth running of our bodies,homes and gardens to mention just to mention a few important aspects.Nowadays, the few boreholes that were sunk by some well meaning donor organisations have become a hive of activities as most mothers and girls try to get a few buckects of the precious liquid for their families.So dire is the need that one such borehole close to my residence is always packed full of human beings; some standing others sitting on buckets ,patiently waiting for their turn at the heavy metal handle,  so that they can drew their buckets full.Gone are the days where people could sleep peacefully in their homes ,quite a few actually spend nights at the boreholes.

The act of sleeping at boreholes have in-turn spawned some unwelcome social ills such as rapes and sexual favours demanded in exchange for a chance to jump the queue and draw water.Tales are going around of gangs of young males who are terrorizing the women and girls at these boreholes as they unlawfully monopolise these for their own benefit which involve the demand for sexual favours in exchange for water. Other unscrupulous young thugs are known to propose love to innocent young girls and they indecently assault them by grabbing their breasts or butts. They are doing all this with impunity since most men are not involved in the fetching of water.

Apart from these social ills, there is also the ever present danger of water-borne diseases since some people cannot stomach the thought of spending endless hours in queues in order to get a few days worth of water supplies. A lot of shallow unprotected water bodies have been dug and a lot of people are resorting to these for their daily supplies of water. One shudders to think of the consequence of an outbreak of cholera of dysentery. Already health facilities are struggling to cope with the demand for services now, in the event of an epidemic, there could be a disaster of epic proportions.

Chitungwiza Residents Up In Arms Over Rate Increase

A meeting called by the Municipal of Chitungwiza bigwigs for the residents of Zengeza 1 degenerated into chaos as they heard that the Council was proposing a rate increase.

Chitungwiza Residents Up In Arms Over Rate Increase

Residents were not happy with the current service delivery in the town.Water is only available two days a week from the household taps.In recent weeks even this has not been the case as residents had to endure a week without supplies.On the days when water is available, the quality leaves a lot to be desired.It is so poor that it is not fit for drinking or cooking but because residents do not have any alternative they have to drink this glorified mud with straight faces.

Apart from this the unavailability of refuse bags, uncollected refuse that gets dumped on roadsides as well as the deplorable state of the town's roads incensed residents to the extend that one gentleman vowed that until there was a marked improvement in the quality of service delivery,then he was not going to pay a cent to the Municipal Council.

Some residents made their ire felt about the fact that  the Council had hired space to hold the meeting at a private church instead of utilizing a Council hall at St Mary's shopping centre.

No resolution was made however as the church owners arrived and indicated that they also wanted to hold their own meeting.Clearly round 1 belonged to the residents as the delegation from Council did not have any answers to various questions asked by the irate residents.

Chitungwiza Residents Fall Prey To Water-meter Thieves,Again

Residents of the Chitungwiza suburb of Zengeza1 in Rusvingo road had their water-meters stolen.This has now become endemic.

Chitungwiza Residents Fall Prey To Water-meter Thieves Again

In an event that looks like a military operation,the thieves alternate the areas they strike and remove the meters at a different location every week.It is alleged that they perform their nefarious deeds very early in the morning around three and four o'clock. The situation is very bad for the residence since they have to replace the stolen meters and the Town council charges them for  re-installing the meters.

Those in the know suggest the trade in stolen water-meters is being fed by the flourishing home industries where cheap coffins are made as the brass from the meters is melted down to form the handles.It is my humble opinion that these acts can be nipped in the bud by forcing the coffin builders to show prove of purchase of any handles they may posses.Regular sweeps by the law enforcement officers will definitely put paid to this scourge.

Alternatively,residents could form neighbourhood watch committees to patrol their streets and stop and question any people acting suspiciously.I once lived in a community where this was implemented,the improvement in safety and security after a very short time was amazing.

The Different Faces of Harare

Harare has more than one face.A venture I have recently been involved in takes me to different parts of Harare; the leafy Northern suburbs of Mount Pleasant, Mandara and Borrowdale.

The Different Faces Of Harare

What I saw there was an eye-opener.The life and atmosphere in the Town of Chitungwiza where I live is a far cry from the suburbs mentioned above.The difference is so enormous one would be forgiven for thinking one was in a foreign country.Whilst there might be some pot-holes in line with the general decline in the economic climate prevailing in the country,on the whole streets in the Northern suburbs are better maintained.One can see the effort being made to keep up appearances.The motor vehicles are sleeker and well maintained.

Sam Levy's Village is like a fairy tale poster for a Christmas card.The shops are beautiful,full of various types of merchandise,one can easily see that the clientele being catered for is affluent.Most shops are air-conditioned in contrast to the shops on the other side of the economic divide.Living in the high density areas one can be led into a false belief that whites have left the country en mass,but they are there.One just has to go to places like Sam Levy's Village to see the proof.

It is politically correct right now to regard this country as belonging to black people.The venture we are involved in to a large extend depends on people with extra cash and the leafy affluent suburbs is where the money is.

Just the outside appearance as well as the size of the residential stands attest to the wealth of the people who live here.Surely if people in the people in the high density suburbs took pride in their surroundings and stopped wining and whinging about their situation being difficult, a lot could change in these areas.

Conductor Loses Balance And Sprawls On Tarmac

The tendency by taxi touts of hanging onto the back of speeding taxis had a grave consequence when one such landed on his back in the middle of the main road just outside the Chitungwiza Town Centre.

Conductor Loses Balance And Sprawls On Tarmac

Basically these guys entice passengers onto a particular taxi, when it is full they are given fifty cents. Whilst I admire the enterprising young man for at least wanting to earn an honest living, the fact that they risk life and limb had all of us in the taxi transfixed as he took a tumble in the tarred road. He was holding onto the roof language rack,which gave way, resulting in him being dumped unceremoniously on the hard sun backed tarmac. The anxious driver came out to see how his tout was feeling and to his immense relief found that he was okay.Fortunately for him there was no following vehicle and he got minor scratches bumps and a bruising of his ego.

Working for ones dinner is commendable but one has to be safe from injuries and accidents.

Hotels Of Chitungwiza

The Kenny Mubaiwa owned Chitungwiza Hotel and Conference center is a poor advertisement for the hotel facilities in Municipality.

Boasting of zero stars, residents of Chitungwiza will be hard pressed to find a place where they can entertain visitors to the town.Completely surrounded by the suburb of Zengeza2,the hotel's outside appearance does not appeal to passers-by to enter and sample its hospitality.The reception at the hotel is not the best either ,yours truly arrived at the establishment and had ton wait for about ten minutes with two other youngmen who had come for an appointment to see the manager..When the lady receptionist did arrive ,her appearance did not do anything tom improve the doom and gloom which emanates from the place.She did not have any uniform,nor was her manner professional as she talked to us whilst she was munching on a cucumber.If one does not take potential; clients seriously ,they in turn will vote with their feet ,away from the establishment.There was nothing in her manner or deportment to signify welcome.

Small wonder then that the only regular clients that the hotel has seems to be Dynamos football club,which is linked to Mr Mubaiwa.

Once one gets past the hostile receptionist,the charge of forty dollars a night for a room seems on the steep side bearing the shortage of excess cash in the community.It is just a questin of time before this establishment closes shop and moves elsewhere.

Break Stones For A Dollar

Some enterprising young men in Chitungwiza are manually breaking stones to make quarry stones.
In an act akin to the Biblical saga of the Israelites ,who burnt bricks using straw.

Men Break Stones For A Dollar

The work is not for the faint hearted as it is physically and emotionally demanding.These young entrepreneurs break down granite rocks into manoeuvarable pieces which are further broken into what is commonly referred to as quarry stones to be used in the building industry.the only machinery used is their brute strength,12 pounds hammer as well as old tires to stop the stone chips from flying away.

It takes one and a half days to two days for the workers to fill a wheelbarrow.This costs a potential client thirty dollars.For a cubic ,one has to pay two hundred and fifty dollars.That is the equivalence of thirty wheel barrows,I am told.An extra amount of five dollars is levied for transportation within a five kilometres radius of the place where these gentlemen work.

What is heartening is the fact that the people do not sit on their laurels and grind their teeth in frustrating at the shortage of formal employment.They are doing things for themselves.Theirs is a symbol of the enterprising spirit embodied in a true entrepreneur.

Econet Wireless Creates Eyesore In Chitungwiza

Econet Wireless' desire to empower the common man is noble but the shacks from which some of these businesses operate from leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

Econet Wireless Creates Eyesore In Chitungwiza

First and foremost ,the siting of some of the Ecocash booths seems to have been done haphazardly with little regard paid to the outside environment.No effort effort seems to have been made in order to beautify these spots.One can see rubbish strewn right round some of the booths.The material used is o most extends corrugated iron sheets welded together to form structure which can house one person.You could be forgiven should you think that these are old fashioned outhouses used in the rural ares as long drop toilets.A little tiding would go a long way towards sprucing up the surroundings.

Secondly, the manner of the people manning these booths can put one off using them as most of the people may pear to think that one is inconviencing them by visiting the booths.Some change in attitudes,acknowledging the importance of anyone visiting the booth would go a long way towards ensuring the continued utilization of this essential service.

Thirdly,and I believe most contentious of all is the fact that maybe Econet needs to empower its agents more by providing them wit business training especially customer care.These agents are reflection of the Econet brand therefore they need to be at their best; physical surroundings as well as the way they attend to customers.

Are Chitungwiza Residents Getting The Service Delivery They Deserve At Last?

For the past two weeks ,water supplies have been coming to Chitungwiza residents regularly from Sunday to Wednesday morning,quite a departure from the usual Monday mornings to Wednesday morning.

Are Chitungwiza Residents Getting The Service Delivery They Deserve At Last?

Imagine our surprise then when we saw a caterpillar front-end loader early in the morning piling sand and rubbish that had been dug up from the water drains along Hombarume drive and tipping them into waiting rubbish dump trucks,to be carted away to some distant landfill.

The fact that 624 workers were laid off not more than two months ago seems to have jump-started service delivery in our beloved community.One to think really hard to when last we saw anything similar to this happening here.

However, a lot still needs to be done in regards to the provision of refuse bags.I have personally gone to the office of the man in charge of the issuing of refuse bags and have been assured that i will get one this month.I am going to demand this service since I am paying my rates diligently every month.We do not want the enforced water rationing that we have been forced to endure.Other suburbs in the town have uninterrupted water supplies,what sins have we committed to be singled out for such arbitrary action.

The area of St Mary's township previously known as C.A.A still reeks from the stench of overflowing raw sewerage.This problem has been going on since time immemorial.One question which begs to be asked is if this area has any councillors.If so what are they being doing because one is led to believe that these are supposed to report any poor service delivery to the town manager.Another question is whether the said town manager ever meets with residents to find out any complaints they might have.