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CHRA leadership vows to change the way community functions
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
March 26, 2006

Representatives of residents from 30 wards in Harare have vowed to improve the conditions of living for the residents of Harare through equal and just representation of residents' interests.

They made this promise at the close of three-day training for transformation seminar held at Harare Safari Lodge from Friday 24-Sunday 26 March, 2006. They said the City of Harare has failed to change the way things are happening in Harare by its continued failure to involve residents in planning development.

However, there was emphasis on engagement to ensure that issues that affected residents are clearly communicated to the City of Harare.

The facilitators Ronah Mugadza and Joram Tarusarira urged the participants to tackle issues and not people. Mugadza said people involved with community development should separate people from problems and handle the problems.

She urged the participants to have a critical mind that probed issues and emerged with practical solutions rather than complaining. "The issue should be what you can do for CHRA and not what CHRA can do for you," she said.

Key among the solutions proffered by the CHRA ward leadership attending the seminar was the need to engage the local authorities and the mass mobilisation of residents to resist abuse at the hands of city authorities. The leadership also said they could take collective action like peaceful demonstrations against the City of Harare for causing the collapse of service delivery, the immediate holding of municipal elections, rates boycott and anti-commission awareness campaigns.

The training focused on poverty eradication and the responses to poverty, reviewing the political, economic, cultural and social causes of poverty. It also focused on the meaning of development, its problems, the principles, vision and dimensions of training for transformation.

Israel Mabhoo, the CHRA Vice-Chairperson said community development workers should identify with the communities in which they lived.

"As leaders of CHRA at ward level, you must be aware that the enemies of the residents' movement would try to divert your attention by saying unpalatable things," he said. "We believe that for you to be effective leaders who can contribute to the development of your areas, you should separate your roles in one community. One person cannot be in the party political structures, in the civic movement and in CHRA. People need to share responsibilities."

He said residents should be prepared to defend their right to deliberate on issues affecting their respective communities. Mabhoo said residents should access any city facilities without any hindrance.

He urged them to disseminate crucial information on what was happening in CHRA without fear because residents' and municipal issues affected those in politics, the civil servants, and the uniformed forces.

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