Residents associations fight in Bulawayo

Last Updated on Friday, 22 August 2008 21:47 Friday, 22 August 2008 21:35

A messy battle for the support of Bulawayo residents has erupted in the city between two rival residents associations, which accuse each other of being appendages of certain political parties.

Officials from the young and dynamic Bulawayo Progressive Residents’ Association (BPRA), which was launched in December last year and the old Bulawayo United Residents’ Association (BURA) are engaging in public verbal exchanges.

The on-going turf war almost degenerated into a physical confrontation last weekend in Nketa high-density suburb when the BPRA officials allegedly attempted to disrupt a BURA meeting at Mgiqika Primary School.

While the former is only nine months old and has taken the city by storm, BURA, formed in the 1960s appears to be losing ground amid the bitter battle for residents’ control, which has developed into something almost akin to recent acrimonious political campaigns pitting Zanu- PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

BURA was a nursery for early nationalism in the 1960s as its former leaders such as Information and Publicity Minister; Sikhanyiso Ndlovu used civic politics to galvanise support for the struggle for independence in the city’s high-density suburbs.

That old link appears to have stuck all along as the current office bearers, led by chairman, Winos Dube stand accused of being sympathetic to Zanu PF.

Residents also accuse Dube of failing to represent them. They say in addition to merely lobbying the local authority to improve service delivery, BURA should also confront central government, which is superintending over a collapsing economy.

Former Nketa councilor, Alderman Charles Mpofu, of BPRA charged that Dube and his BURA have run short of ideas to fully tackle the myriad of problems residents are facing. Mpofu, a forthright speaker said Dube is trying to use BURA structures to revive Zanu PF in the city, a traditional MDC stronghold.

"BURA is not a serious residents’ association," Ndlovu charged. "Residents are tired of this toothless organisation, they want a practical and dynamic organisation that is alive to their problems. Dube knows that. People know that he is a Zanu PF functionary. He is using BURA structures in a bid to revive Zanu PF. If you look at the BURA office bearers, you will notice that most of them are Zanu-PF officials."

At its official launch last December, BPRA vowed to face central government head-on as a way to enhance falling service delivery. Over the past few weeks, the organisation endeared itself to residents after it embarked on a clean-up exercise of the city.Dube alleged that the rival residents’ body was pro-opposition, claiming that his was independent."Ours is an independent residents’ association," he said.

"Our track record speaks for itself. Residents are saying they do not want BPRA. They say BPRA does not represent residents’ interests as its leaders are too steeped in opposition politics.

"Furthermore, he said without offering any evidence that BPRA receives funding from what he claimed were "hostile Western nations," parroting a favourite Zanu PF line.

The ruling party variously portrays independent civic organisations as Western-funded, un-patriotic or opposition-aligned. The BPRA has forged a strong working relationship with the equally vibrant Combined Harare Residents’ Association. (Journalists)

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