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Residents irate over incentives
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA)
November 10, 2010

BPRA has once again demanded that the Minister of Education, Sports and Culture Senator David Coltart ban incentives paid to teachers by parents. This time the call came after the association received reports from parents in Luveve that a local primary school (Imbizo Primary School) had engaged the services of debt collectors to force parents to pay incentives. Most parents have deplored the move as it disregards the fact that most parents are unemployed and hence unable to pay these incentives. Some of the parents, who are also civil servants have vowed not to pay the incentives no matter what the school does as they argue that no one pays them incentives in their line of work.

Whither Bulawayo Industry

The dilapidation of manufacturing industry in Bulawayo has been matched with the sprouting of supermarkets. Whereas Bulawayo has always been known to be the industrial hub of the country, most companies which have always had their headquarters in Bulawayo are either downsizing, closing down or relocating to Harare. The move has left many residents worried about the failure or reluctance by the inclusive government to reenergise these industries as a way of creating and maintaining employment rates. While other companies like National Foods have been adversely affected by the economic meltdown, some companies have relocated on flimsy excuses like the unavailability of water and dependable power supplies.

Residents appalled by BCC and ZESA

Residents in Bulawayo have vowed that their fight for better services will not be confined to ZESA alone as the local authority has also begun disconnecting water supplies for residents who owe Bulawayo City Council. While the association continues to encourage residents to pay the little they have to all service providers, the decision to disconnect services for non-payment has been rejected by the residents through their association, BPRA. The association is, in the meantime, collating information on houses that have their water supplies disconnected with the view of engaging the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

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