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Sizinda advocacy action team lobbies city council
Habakkuk Trust
May 24, 2013

Today (24 May 2013) the Habakkuk Trust Sizinda Community Advocacy Action Team (in Bulawayo) today engaged the Bulawayo City Council Department of Roads and Health services as well as the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) over the heavy air pollution emanating from an abandoned Council road rehabilitation project in the community. Speaking during the lobbying meeting, the Action Team Convenor, Mr Emboyera Mathe explained that the dust from the abandoned project has resulted in many residents having T.B Like symptoms. His sentiments were confirmed by an affected resident Mr Modwell Mathe who said ‘people suffering from TB and Asthma are now heavily affected by the dust and we are having other people now manifesting symptoms of flu or TB. As we speak we have children who have not been attending school due to heavy coughing that stated after this project has begun and their parents are too poor to take them to the clinic for medication.’ Another resident Mr D. Faira who could barely speak audible due to incessant coughing, complained that his respiratory system and eye sight have been heavily affected by dust caused by passing cars. A way forward that was resolved on the issue included:

• EMA shall monitor the situation and ensure that the Council controls pollution levels in the area,
• EMA demanded Council to supply it with an Environmental Management plan of the project,
• By Tuesday 28 May 2013 the Council’s Engineering Department will ensure that there are speed humps in the area to limit speeding and road carnage,
• The Engineering Department also pledged to ensure that there are more Water Browsers to water the dust road thus reduce dust pollution,
• The Engineering Department further pledged to ensure that the road is completed within the next two months,
• The Council’s Health Department pledged to work closely with the Engineering Department,
• The local Councillor pledged to hold a public meeting with the residents to inform them of the resolutions,
• The Habakkuk Trust Sizinda Community Advocacy Action Team will monitor that the Council complies with the agreed resolutions.

The Sizinda Community Advocacy Action Team is one of the 43 ward level community structures from Bulawayo, Matobo, Mangwe, Plumtree Town, Gwanda Rural, Gwanda Urban, Mzingwane, Nkayi, Tsholotsho; that Habakkuk Trust has set up and empowered to meaningfully, peacefully and actively participate in decision making processes as well as in bringing local and national leaders and service providers to account.

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