MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) yesterday trained councilor’s spouses to adequately prepare them to play their role of buttressing the work of the city fathers.
Gweru city council has 18 councilors directly elected and is dominated by 14 male councilors with the remaining 4 being female.
The trained spouses also gained insights on local government systems, with special focus on socio-economic development, citizen participation as well as social cohesion.
GRRA director, Cornelia Selipiwe says the training program is aimed to sensitize and capacitate councilor’s spouses about the magnitude of the local government work.
Silepiwe said the training was to make them understand better service delivery-related issues.
“We felt that it is of paramount importance to include councilor’s wife’s in the service delivery dialogue so that they understand the work their husbands are doing.
“This dialogue will enlighten and capacitate them to have a broader picture of the magnitude of the work ahead of their spouses,” he said.
He said councilor’s spouses played an important role in the community, hence the need to continue service delivery dialogue conversation between them and their husbands.
Selipiwe added that GRRA capacitates the councilor’s spouses as a way of complimenting government efforts by imparting knowledge local authorities.
“The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works always give training to the elected councilors and no one cares about capacitating theirs spouses. So as an organization we are filling the gap by training them and equipping them with how local government functions as well as what they are expected to do in their respective wards to help improve service provision,” added Selipiwe.
Wife to ward 6 councilor Johanna Zengeya Choto, told The Midweek Watch that the sensitization program has helped her to understand her role as the councilor’s spouse.
She stressed the need for serious waste management education in wards to encourage citizens to desist from dumping their household garbage and other unwanted items in canals and drains.
“The indiscriminate garbage disposal in drainage systems contributes to flooding in many areas.
“With millions of dollars spent to clear up these drainage systems which most times are clogged with used pumpers and debris,” added Choto.
