Amongst the issues raised at the meeting was the continued marginalisation of the people of Matabeleland, arguing that people from the region are not given equal opportunities to people in other regions in Zimbabwe. They said due to this, people from the region had fewer job opportunities due to nepotism with mostly people from Mashonaland getting jobs as most companies are owned by outsiders.
In the same vein, they cited that children from Matabeleland had difficulty obtaining scholarships, with mostly children from Harare and other areas of Mashonaland getting them. They also alleged that even in Zimbabwean universities, including NUST and Lupane University which are located in Bulawayo, children from Bulawayo and Matebeland were few with most students coming from Mashonaland.
Residents of Nketa also accused the city council of selectively disconnecting water for residents with outstanding bills. They said there was corruption at the city council with those tasked with disconnecting supplies for defaulting residents receiving bribes in exchange for not disconnecting water supplies.
The residents called for the city council to stop corruption within its ranks and ensure that residents are treated equally. Residents also complained of poor refuse collection.
They noted that even when BCC refuse collection trucks come into the area, the council workers do not collect all refuse, but select some items and leave others. This leaves residents with no choice but to create illegal dump sites in the streets, bushes and in trenches.
Post published in: Zimbabwe News