The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Municipal Reporter
A GROUP of residents from Bulawayo’s Nkulumane suburb has approached the Bulawayo City Council requesting the closure of a pedestrian lane which they allege has become a haven for criminal elements who waylay and rob unsuspecting residents.
The residents initially wrote to the local authority in 2004 requesting that the matter be addressed. In the letter dated 17 October 2004, the residents claimed that they have never had peace of mind ever since the lane was established.
“We hereby appeal to the city council of Bulawayo to close the pedestrian passage that passes between house number 4664, 4665, 4681 and 4680 Nkulumane Township. Ever since this passage was established, we have never had peace of mind. At night stones are thrown on top of our rooftops.
“Just recently a stone broke an asbestos sheet and fell inside house number 4664 and the matter was reported to the police. Sometime last year, Mr Polite Moyo of house number 4681 was nearly robbed of his cell phone along this passage.
“Also passersby urinate on our walls and fences, steal fruits from our trees and write on our walls. We believe that if the passage is closed we will have less problems,” reads part of the letter.
Some of the residents interviewed claimed that the situation was worsening on a daily basis revealing that a number of residents had been attacked by thieves who use the lane as a hiding spot.
Contacted for comment the local authority’s senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said while they did not have receipt of the letter which the residents claim they sent to them in 2004, they were going to handle the matter according to its merits.
“We would like to highlight that council is not aware of such a letter requesting a shutdown of the pedestrian passage that passes between 4664, 4665, 4680 and 4681 Nkulumane. However, since it has come to light we have given it our attention and are dealing with it best way we see fit, and shall soon be responding to the affected residents accordingly.” said Mpofu.
