By Rutendo Mapfumo
The long-overdue incorporation of the concession area under the Hwange Local Board is gaining momentum, thanks to the determined efforts of local residents who have been pushing for this agenda.
Last year, the Greater Whange Resident Trust petitioned Parliament, but their efforts were in vain. Last week, Hwange youths also petitioned Parliament, over the same issue demanding incorporation.
The petitions sent to the Parliament highlight the current state of Hwange, where multiple authorities are responsible for its governance, resulting in poor service delivery to the community.
The residents are particularly concerned with the exclusion of wards 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 from the Hwange Central Constituency. These Wards, have about 23,274 people residing within the concession who should be considered stakeholders and beneficiaries of service deliverables provided by the Hwange Local Board-the constitutionally mandated local authority.
The residents argue that the dominance of local corporations such as Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL), the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), and Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has perpetuated a local governance system that violates the social contract. This system excludes the general populace within the Hwange Concession from enjoying the benefits of public service delivery, environmental management, and public finance management, despite their significant contributions to public funds through taxes.
The residents particularly affected are those living within the Hwange Colliery Concession, in Ward 2 (Lwendulu Village, M Section Area), Ward 3 (Ingagula), Ward 7 (Police, Infantry Battalion 1-2, Industrial Area, ZPCS, Mbarira, Airport, Prospect, and surrounding areas Sinderika), Ward 8 (HCCL Low-Density Suburb), Ward 9 (Lwendulu Village C Section), Ward 10 (Sinderella Medium-Density Stands), Ward 11 (Makwika Village), Ward 12 (Lusumbami), Ward 13 (Lwendulu Village P Section, Sinderella, Thompson Junction), Ward 14 (NRZ Concession), and Ward 15 (Madumabisa). These residents have been subjected to arbitrary evictions, haphazard development planning, unregulated rental hikes, poor service delivery, poor waste management, and relentless human-wildlife conflict, which has resulted in countless preventable loss of property and life.
The Hwange business community shares similar sentiments and believes that the incorporation of the concession will help attract investors.
“The incorporation may lead to the upgrade of Hwange town to become a city, which, in turn, will attract more investors to our country,” said Joseph Banda.
Fidelis Chima from the Greater Whange Residents Trust also supported the idea saying: “Our position remains resolute even after appearing before the portfolio committee and subsequently before the government commission as GWRT. We are fully supportive of the incorporation,” he said.
By addressing the concerns raised by the residents and incorporating the concession area under the Hwange Local Board, it is hoped that the town will experience improved service delivery, better governance, and increased investment, leading to a brighter future for Hwange and its residents.
