Friday, January 28, 2011

MATABELELAND LEADERSHIP SUMMIT LEAVES TO EXPECTATIONS

BY Khumbulani Maphosa

7 ministers and 103 business, political, civic society and church leaders today turned up for the Habakkuk Trust organised Matabeleland Leadership Summit that was meant to discuss key critical development issues in the region as well as accord the ministers a platform to account to the citizens on what they have been doing for the past years for the region.
Of the ministers who turned up and accounted to the people today were Honorable Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Senator David Coltart; Minister of Public Works Honorable Joel Gabbuza; Minister of National Healing Honorable Moses Mzila Ndlovu; Minister of Water Resources and Development Honorable Samuel Sipepa Nkomo; Minister of State Enterprises and Parastatals Honorable Gorden Moyo; Honorable Minister of Industry and Commerce Professor Welshman Ncube as well as the Speaker of House of Assembly Honorable Lovemore Moyo.
The meeting that saw key issues being discussed recommended major issues that include:
• Habakkuk Trust facilitate regular ministers meetings so that they can account to the people on key national issues,
• Habakkuk Trust to facilitate space for ministers of government from Matabeleland to meet, dialogue and caucus on key issues affecting the region,
• Need for follow up issues to tackle development issues in the region,
• Legislative advocacy to influence the formulation and implementation of policies that promote development,
• Thorough audit of all industries and identify industries that need recapitalization.
Habakkuk Trust Information Department will next week run a series on the meeting.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Tsholotsho Community Fuming Over Leaders' No Show

TSHOLOTSHO COMMUNITY FUMING OVER LEADERS’ NO SHOW
Information department

Tsholotsho leaders yesterday revealed their in co-operative attitude inciting resentment from villagers .Two M.P’s representing Tsholotsho North and South, Professor Jonathan Moyo (ZANU-PF) and Maxwell Dube (MDC) respectively, snubbed a crucial meeting with community leaders on Tuesday. The meeting sought to discuss how local villagers benefit from natural resources The Senator for Tsholotsho Believe Gaule managed to attend the meeting which was also attended by traditional leaders, Councillors, Habakkuk Trust Action Team members, CAMPFIRE project leaders and community stakeholders.

Villagers were annoyed by the absence of their Members of Parliament from a Public Dialogue Meeting organised by Habakkuk Trust in Tsholotsho. The local authority’s Acting Chief Executive Officer and District Administrator Mr Themba Moyo was among the invited leaders who did not turn out for the meeting.

‘If leaders fail to come to meetings of such magnitude, what would be the meaning of that?’ said one Mr Moses Moyo, an Action Team Member for Tsholotsho Ward 5.

Mr Moyo who was supposed to make a presentation focusing on the Local Authority’s legislature on natural resources and how the community can benefit from them when contacted to answer for his absence he simply said he had forgotten about the meeting.
‘By the way that meeting is today, I will send someone to take minutes on my behalf,’ Moyo said.

However his representative gave a brief presentation on the issue though she left important aspects of the topic and generally, the attendants felt robbed because these are their leaders and they should be always accountable to the public.
‘This is where communication breakdown starts because the CEO was supposed to be here to answer to some of the questions that the community has about the Campfire dividends,’ said the ward five Councillor Paul Ndebele.

The public invisibility of Political leaders is seemingly a cancerous habit that has swept through most of the current crop of leaders in Zimbabwe and these leaders only become visible when its election time as they would be aiming at mobilising supporters. So as to use them then dump them soon after getting their much needed votes.