Chitown service delivery takeaways

WE thank all our stakeholders in making this dream a reality.

Perfection Media (Pvt) Ltd got the nod to publish Dungwiza News some years ago. We are a licensed community media house that seeks to empower communities through solution-based journalism.

Our publication covers Chitungwiza, Seke and Manyame areas.

Our focus today is on Chitungwiza.

Quality service delivery in Chitungwiza can only be realised through strong public institutions in the health, energy and government sectors that also recognise the residents as key actors in decision making.

Good local governance is founded on principles such as transparency, participation, effectiveness, and accountability.

The Constitution of Zimbabwe recognises the right of communities to manage their own affairs and further their development.  

However, the lack of transparency, accountability, and responsiveness among elected leadership and management at Chitungwiza municipality has seen limited access to basic services and the deterioration of service provision in our communities.

However, a glimmer of hope came through during the recent full council meeting held at Council Chambers when the mayor and her councillors took a tougher stance by taking senior management to task over poor service delivery.

By right councillors being the mouth piece of residents must ensure that community members interests are included  in the  decision-making process, They express residents  needs and aspirations, and hold local officials accountable for their actions.

Accountability can take the form of discussions and inquiries to understand the reasoning behind specific decisions.

Feedback meetings  for residents have been an eye-opener for councillors. At such meetings residents have expressed their grievances  and  held those responsible accountable.

In that light our role as a community newspaper for Chitungwiza  is for us to play a crucial role in good local governance by providing citizens with a means to express their desires and improve the quality of public services.  

Through us media, residents can voice their concerns and pressure local officials to address their demands for better local services.  

The development of media aligns with plans for sustainable development at  national levels, and this  requires that the  media plays an  active role in development.  

While urban councils may differ in their resources and capabilities, they should  all strive to improve communities by  meeting  the needs of residents.  

We need to stress that development is a collaborative effort involving the government, citizens, and civil society, each with their assigned roles.  

In that light we commend the work of residents associations but advise them not to sink into the basher-mode as they strive to seek relevance.  

Given the complexity of  the challenges facing Chitungwiza,  it is essential to have an effective and influential media that actively contribute to shaping ideas, presenting opinions and information,  We will not shy away from guiding society’s behavior in line with central and local government’s development policies.  

However our role in supporting such development depends on accurate information about development plans, addressing citizen needs, and promoting their interests  

We implore all stakeholders to respect the media’s role and not pursue selfish agendas.  

Certainly the role of councillors is not that of a real estate agent and should not even be perceived  to be such, lest they become conflicted and become de facto land barons in the eyes of the public.