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Activity update
Bulawayo Agenda
April 23, 2012

Bulawayo Agenda activities update

Bulawayo Agenda held public meetings and a public speaking contests over the last weekend in Gwanda, Lupane and Tsholotsho. These meetings were held to update the communities about the constitution making process and also gather their position on early elections. It was also a scan of the political and human rights situation within communities.

In Tsholotsho

Villagers petition DA over politicization of food aid

More than 500 villagers in Tsholotsho petitioned the District Administrator for unfair distribution of food aid last weekend. Speaking at a public meeting held at Mvundlana village in Ward 14, Tsholotsho District which was organized by Bulawayo Agenda to assess the impact of the drought situation in the area, villagers said politicization of food aid in the area was fueling community disintegration and conflicts.

The major beneficiaries from this scandalous act have been identified as ZANU PF supporters. The meeting resolved to send a delegation of village leaders to the District Administrator with the community's grievances regarding the distribution of food aid and other agricultural inputs.

Bulawayo Agenda was tasked to invite the Ministry of Agriculture officials to the district to facilitate dialogue and engagement with the community on how to address the challenges in the area.

Villagers called on the government and humanitarian organizations to ensure that distribution of food aid in the area is fair and transparent ahead of looming elections expected to be held in the near future. Food aid has been in the past a contentious issue towards elections thus Governor Maluleke of Masvingo attempted to unduly suspend about 30 NGOs in Masvingo Province earlier on this year. Most parts of Matabeleland provinces did not receive much rainfall in the 2011/12 season thus drought is looming. This raises fears of grosser human rights abuses if electioneering starts and or referendum is held this year

In Lupane

'We will reject elections before constitution' - villagers

More than 200 villagers of Madojwa village in Gwampa ward, Lupane District have threatened to boycott any election that is held before the completion of the new national constitution. Speaking at a public meeting organized by Bulawayo Agenda, villagers condemned continuous ZANU PF calls for elections saying elections should be guided by a new constitution for them to be regarded as free and fair.

Participants were addressed by civil society activist, Mr. Alfred Sihwa, Director for Lupane Youth for Development and the Senator for the area, Hon. Dalumuzi Khumalo updated the residents on the constitution making process.

In Gwanda

1. Residents demand reinstatement of Mayor

The residents of Gwanda will be petitioning Minister of Local Government, Ignatious Chombo over the suspension of the town's Mayor Councilor Lionnel DeNecker. This came up at a Gwanda Agenda meeting held in the town last weekend.

DeNecker was suspended by Chombo on charges of insubordination after he refused to endorse the appointment of Priscilla Nkala as the town's chamber secretary. Nkala was seconded by the minister.

At the meeting, residents said the Minister should reverse the mayor's suspension as they thought the dismissal was political rather than administrative. They vowed to prepare a petition that would be then submitted to the Minister. Meanwhile, Nkala's fate is still not clear.

DeNecker is the fifth victim of Minister Chombo whose menace to local government has been publicly condemned by Zimbabweans as it politically driven and stalls local government progress.

2. Gwanda Agenda gives youths a platform to express themselves

Gwanda Agenda hosted a public speaking contest last Friday, 13 April, creating a platform for youths freely express themselves on the ongoing constitution making and human rights situation in their areas and country. The contest, held at Gwanda Hotel ran under the theme "Constitution and Human Rights." Contestants included two child parliamentarians, child senator, two college students and an activist.

The contest was initially supposed to be held on the 31st of March but was postponed as the Ministry of Education officials refused to clear it. The suspended Mayor of Gwanda Lionnel DeNecker graced the occasion.

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