Residents should have access to information on council business: Marondera Mayor

MARONDERA- Residents here recently joined the nation and the rest of the world
after belatedly commemorating the International Day of Universal Access to
Information day at Rudhaka Stadium.
The day was commemorated under the theme "Access to Information: Enhancing
civic engagement and improved service delivery.”
Speaking at the commemorations and giving reference to Marondera Municipality as
one of the entities that members of the public need to access information, the
recently-elected Mayor of Marondera Cllr Abel Nyakarombo asserted that it is vital to
have access to information on how the local authority operates.
He, therefore, implored residents to make use of official social media platforms or
alternatively to visit the Municipality offices to obtain any information about the local
authority.
"It is essential for us to allow you to get access to information relating to council
business. I therefore urge you to visit our official social media platforms or to visit
Municipality of Marondera offices to get information," said the Mayor.

Cllr Nyakarombo highlighted that the commemorations were held at a time when the
local authority has been opening new channels to improve communication with its
clients, giving the latest development whereby a public relations department was
created with a Municipality spokesperson, Kudakwashe Tapfumaneyi, being
appointed.
The Mayor added that plans are in the pipeline to ensure that people who are living
with disabilities (PWDs) equally have access to information on council issues or any
other business.
In an interview with Chaminuka News on the sidelines of the commemorations, the
director of Marondera Residents Open Forum (MAROF), Tapiwa Chengeta said they
saw it prudent as a residents’ representative organisation to partner with other
stakeholders and commemorate the international day whose focus was biased
towards strategies that can be implemented to ensure access to information of
Municipality of Marondera by local residents.
“This international day was graced by our Member of Parliament for Marondera
Central Caston Matewu, the Mayor of Marondera Councillor Nyakarombo and
Councillors but our focus was mainly to share ways through which information that
has anything to do with council can be accessed by residents. We felt that it was
necessary for Marondera residents to celebrate this day in partnership with other
stakeholders like the Media Institute of Zimbabwe (MISA) and International
Republican Institute (IRI) to deliberate on several issues considering the fact that
there is lot of misinformation that led to a number of challenges taking place.
“If information is not communicated correctly, chances of disputes likely to arise are
very high. It is pleasing to note that all the stakeholders gathered here managed to
meet specifically to deliberate, discuss and share information on the issues that have
affected us with particular emphasis in operations that have been taking place within
the council,” he said.
Chengeta also commented the gesture extended by the Mayor of Marondera in his
speech to accommodate people living with disabilities, saying that it will go a long
way in improving service delivery to everyone.
Margret Saungweme who lives with a disability said she had learnt a lot on the
importance of having access to information.
"We have learnt a lot today on the importance of getting access to information. I am
so excited that measures have been set to ensure that people living with disabilities
also get access to information pertaining the local authority to enhance improvement
in service delivery,” she said.
The International Universal Access to Information day is celebrated annually on the
28 of September from 2019 when it was declared at the 74th UN general assembly.