THE NGO NETWORK ALLIANCE PROJECT - an online community for Zimbabwean activists  
 View archive by sector
 
 
    HOME THE PROJECT DIRECTORYJOINARCHIVESEARCH E:ACTIVISMBLOGSMSFREEDOM FONELINKS CONTACT US
 

 


Back to Index

Activity update: 16-21 July 2012
Bulawayo Agenda

July 24, 2012

Community Resource Monitoring workshop

22 people including one councilor, youths, women and church representatives took part in the Community Resource Monitoring workshop organized by Plumtree Agenda on Friday 20 July 2012.

The training was held at the Plumtree Business Incubator.

The overarching objective of the training was to build the capacity of community stakeholders to ensure greater transparency and accountability in so far as the community resources are concerned.

The participants identified the resources in the area and made resolutions and advocacy strategies to ensure that the Plumtree community benefits from the proceeds from their resources.

Participants were later issued with certificates at a reception held at a local restaurant.

The following are the resources found in Plumtree and the proposed actions to ensure that the community benefits:

Resource Proposed Action
Gold in Brunapeg

Increased information dissemination on the process and requirements for acquiring mining licenses.

Legislation should ensure that a fraction of the gold extracted from the area is remitted to the town council to assist in the development of Plumtree.

Caterpillars (amacimbi) There should be committees to monitor the harvesting of caterpillars to ensure that the harvesting is done in accordance with the culture of the locals.
Salt in Bambasi Indigenization laws should be revised to attract investment and create employment in the area.
Cattle Respective communities should be able to decide on the prices of their cattle to curb the current exploitation by cattle dealers.
Land There should be re-distribution of land by Chiefs to ensure that locals benefit from the land reform program.
Dams Communities around protected dams should be allowed to use water from the dams in their localities.
3 Border Posts: Plumtree, Mantengwe and Matsilotshe

Legislation should force Zimra to remit a fraction of revenue collected at border posts to the town council for the purposes of developing infrastructure.

Information on the auctioning of impounded goods at Plumtree boarder post should be disseminated in time to ensure that locals also benefit from the sales.

Did you know:

18 out of 22 participants at the training were not aware of the Plumtree Border Post Auction to be held on 24 July 2012. On sale shall be 24 vehicles, 1 chips maker, refrigerators, television sets, generators and other valuable goods impounded at the border. Locals allege that such auctions are fraught with corruption.

Citizen Journalism Training Bulawayo

A total of 75 citizen journalists from Magwegwe, Pumula, Emakhandeni, Mpopoma, Bulawayo East, Central and South, Makokoba, Luveve, Lobengula and Nketa were trained from Thursday to Saturday last week. The trainings were held at the Bulawayo Agenda Democracy Center and participants comprised of residents association representatives, women, youth and elderly.

The objectives of the workshop:

  • To strengthen the capacity of grassroots capability to contribute to their CSOs' information and work
  • To increase the flow, quality and relevance of information from grassroots activists to the media
  • To enable the grassroots to be able to identify news that is worthy with all the necessary details.

The training was timely and significant considering the announcement that the draft constitution has been finalized and that the country is set to go to a referendum which will subsequently lead to the general elections.

Participants highlighted that the skills acquired will enable them to monitor peace in their communities as violations of human rights shall be quickly reported through various media. They also pledged to work tirelessly to ensure that human rights violations are publicized and perpetrators are exposed and brought to book.

They also vowed to take the training to their communities and ensure that other community members join them in being Citizen Journalists.

Visit the Bulawayo Agenda fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP