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Residents' Voices - Issue 60
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA)
September 23, 2011

Revive tourist attractions in Matebeleland

Bulawayo residents have suggested that Ministers from the region should ensure that tourist attractions in Bulawayo be revamped. This through attracting tourists will ultimately contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Residents said that it is important to look at the region's distinctive competencies that will help contribute to the GDP. Resource mapping would most likely be a long term solution. Residents have realized that there is need for the people of Matabeleland to work towards their own emancipation and this can be spearheaded by ministers and members of parliament from this region. Residents said parliamentarians play a pivotal role largely because this issue can only be best handled at policy formulation level. One resident pointed out that one of the critical sectors needing revival in Matabeleland is transport. The region is a strategic central point in Southern Africa such that toll gates would generate a lot of money if the roads were in good condition. It came to light during a meeting held at Bulawayo Club organized by Radio Dialogue and Alpha Media Holdings that roads leading to tourist attractions in and around Matabeleland are very poor and the attractions are not promoted.

Revitalization of Bulawayo industries overdue

Bulawayo residents have welcome reports that a fund has been set up to inject money towards the revitalization of industries in this region. This comes after the closure of 85 companies in Bulawayo that left approximately 20 000 families without breadwinners. The Minister of Industry and Commerce has reported that there is a distressed and marginalised areas fund set out to revamp industries in Bulawayo. It has been established that the city's industries need at least $50 million to refurbish major companies to jump start industrial production. The major setbacks facing the revitalization of industries are high levels of corruption, unjustified tariff structure, biased procurement policies, exorbitant electricity charges and the over-centralization of banks. For Bulawayo to regain its status as the hub of industries, the government needs to attend to all these factors. Residents are calling on the relevant authorities to attend to the matter urgently as many families are languishing in poverty due to the dire state of industries that provided for their livelihood.

BPRA to hold public meetings on Sunday 25 September 2011

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) will be holding two public meetings on Sunday 25 September 2011. The first meeting will be at Mqoqo Primary School in Nkulumane (ward 20) from 9am to 12pm while the second will be at Mgiqika primary School in Nketa (ward 25) from 2pm to 4pm. Both meetings are meant to discuss issues of service delivery in the areas vis-a-vis the operations of the Bulawayo City Council (BCC). In line with this, the respective councillors for wards 20 and 25, Councillors Ernest Rafamoyo and Edward Ndlovu will be present.

The meeting will also inform residents in the two wards of issues that were discussed at the Service Delivery Conference that BPRA held at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) on 11 September 2011. The conference brought officials from the Bulawayo City Council (BCC), Telone and the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) to dialogue with 2000 residents from all of Bulawayo's 29 wards.

Visit the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association fact sheet

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