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Artists confront Kadoma local authorities non violently
Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights (ZPHR)
August 03, 2012

Today, artists from Rimuka, Kadoma took a bold stance and reminded the Kadoma City council, political leadership and also the electricity supply authority of their responsibility to fix facilities that have been dysfunctional for a very long time.

The SQ (single quarters) and GB (general bachelors) sections of the Rimuka high density area has been facing the challenge of clean water and healthy ablution services for more than a decade now. Residents in this section of the community share toilets and bathrooms communally as originally planned by the city council. As much as this system is not healthy in this modern context, what makes it worse is that the responsible authorities are not making any lame efforts to make sure that this toilet and bathroom facility caters for the SQ and GB residents satisfactorily. Half of the toilets-cum-bathrooms in this area do not have a piped water supply. Those that have the water supply have it erratically. This is pausing a health hazard to the community as sewage is flowing in front of the doorsteps of residents with no one to care about it except the residents with the door facing the sewer. In 2008 tapes ran dry and UNICEF sank boreholes so as to supply water to the residents. However, some of the boreholes have since stopped working but no one dared repair them.

As a result artists from Kadoma decided to take action that would result in the repairing of all facilities that contribute to the well social and economic being of a resident. The artists did this non-violently by sticking stickers labelled, "FIX ME, please" on all facilities that need attention. Some of the facilities that bear the stickers right now include broken down boreholes, malfunctioning residential toilets, ZESA stations, the Rimuka community swimming pool, public toilets and also street lights. The artists led by Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights and Berina Community Arts stressed a point that the authorities need not to be confronted violently but in a subtle way that makes them realise that it is not about power but about the well-being of society. This action was triggered by a nationwide consultation process that was conducted by the Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust to gather the common vision of tomorrow of the youth of today. This resulted in the crafting of a document of the youth "Vision of Tomorrow". Last month, students led by the National Movement of Catholic Students non-violently sought audience with the Public Relations Officer of ZESA Harare as a result of the same process.

"We normally express our thoughts and feelings through artistic expressions in front of an audience, but this action does not require an audience. We decided to put these stickers so that the authorities are constantly reminded of the refurbishment that is needed" said Robson Isaac Shoes Lambada the Coordinator of Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights. The Director of Berina Arts Mr Lloyd Mujuru echoed the same sentiments adding that the community also needed that reminder. "The residents will also see these stickers daily and those who do not know will one day ask that who is responsible for fixing these broken down facilities. Once the community is fully involved, the local authorities will not take us for granted" remarked Mujuru.

This is the first time artists have taken such a stance other that through performance on stage in the city of Kadoma.

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