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Solidarity messages pour in for CHRA
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
July 26, 2006

SEVERAL organisations and individuals yesterday commended the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) mobilising residents to wage street demonstrations and peaceful marches against the commission running the capital.

The residents want to force the government to reverse the re-appointment of the Sekesai Makwavarara-led commission running the capital and are demanding the holding of mayoral and council elections.

They praised CHRA at a public meeting held at the Crowne Plaza Monomotapa Hotel on Tuesday evening. The meeting was organised by the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI).

Tineyi Mukwewa, the President of the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) students' body said CHRA had shown the way and all organisations that claimed a stake in the fight for democracy and good local governance must join the struggle to have Makwavarara and her fellow puppet commissioners ejected from Town House.

Mukwewa said: "it is unfortunate that students are away on holiday after the UZ closed. But what is clear is that the other 'State House' at the University is disintegrating. Raw sewer is flowing everywhere at the college. What CHRA has started must not end. As students at the UZ, we assure CHRA that we will come on to the streets with you."

CHRA leadership poured on to the streets of Harare on Wednesday 19 July 2006 with the objective of presenting a petition to Makwavarara and Minister Chombo to demand the immediate reversal of the re-appointment of the commission.

Addressing the audience, Israel Mabhoo, the Acting Chairperson of CHRA said the association had borrowed the leaf of waging the struggle from the celebrated nationalists, the likes of the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo, President Robert Mugabe, the founder and first President of Zanu and others like Edgar Tekere.

He said these nationalists forced Ian Smith to the negotiating table after waging the guerrilla war.

Mabhoo said: "We want to empower the people of Harare and other cities to free themselves from the bondage of tyranny and unaccountable leadership. There is lack of transparency in everything happening from the ministry of Local Government down to Town House.

"As CHRA leadership, we resolved on 2 July 2006 that residents will no longer sit back and watch their resources and property being abused by a clique of mercenaries masquerading as commissioners. CHRA has prepared the ground for a parallel local government structure that has the capacity and the mandate from residents to make decisions and run our own affairs. Town House has become irrelevant."

Other participants to this meeting urged CHRA to come up with alternative ways of addressing the pertinent issues around service delivery. They were mainly concerned with the collapse in refuse collection, sewer and water pipes, road repairs, the relationship between the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) and the City of Harare, the illegal commission running the affairs of Harare and corruption.

Mabhoo shared the platform with panellists Takura Zhangazha from the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and Willas Madzimure (MP Kambuzuma).

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