The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Municipal Reporter
BULAWAYO Ward Nine councillor Charles Moyo has said he wants to leave a legacy in the small community of Mpopoma after he recently led in the rehabilitation of Mpopoma Swimming Pool.
The pool which will soon be opened to the public after being closed for more than 15 years was funded through the Bulawayo City Council instituted ward retention fund.
The fund is managed by a local councillor through the local authority is meant to award residents for paying their rates loyally and goes towards a project chosen by the councillor and allocated according to how residents pay their rates.
“The final opening of this swimming pool will be more of a dream come true for me because even before I became councillor I would pass outside the swimming pool and wonder when it will finally operate. When I became a councillor in all my meetings residents would question when council would re-open the pool, they told me that in past years, under various councillors, they had tried in vain to lobby for the re-opening of the pool but with no luck at all,” said Clr Moyo.
He revealed that the rehabilitation cost $60 000 and included the replacement of the swimming pool engine, resurfacing of the pool and some landscaping to revamp the outlook of the pool.
“My aim as the incumbent councillor is to leave a legacy. I want people tomorrow to remember that this is a project that was revived by Clr Moyo years after I have left the local authority. As I sleep today, I will have a good night sleep because I know that I have given our children and youths some form of social activity, effectively taking them off the streets,” said Clr Moyo.
Clr Moyo, has decided to contest in the big league in the upcoming elections to represent the Mpopoma-Pelandaba constituency in the National Assembly on an MDC Alliance ticket.
The 36-year-old said as a councillor for Ward Nine he had proved himself and the next challenge as an MP was to encompass Ward 13, which includes Pelandaba, Mabutweni and Iminyela suburbs.
“While in Ward Nine I will be continuing where I would have left off as a councillor, the challenge now will be in Ward 13 where among other things I will be tasked with the construction of toilets which will see areas in Mabuthweni and Iminyela move away from the archaic communal toilet system.
“Further I know there is the long standing issue of title deeds again in Mabuthweni and Iminyela, this is one issue that has to be resolved once and for all. In terms of roads in the suburb I will work closely with the local authority in getting funding that will see the rehabilitation of access roads within the constituency, which are currently in a terrible state,” said Clr Moyo.
As a youthful candidate, Clr Moyo said he was worried about the high numbers of unemployed youths in the constituency saying once elected he would create a constituency youth fund.
“This revolving fund will mainly be meant to capacitate our youths into starting their income generating projects within the constituency. I have been working with youths in Ward Nine and I know this is possible. Still on social services I have already started the process of gathering funds for the purchase of a constituency funeral bus. Basically I am just continuing where I would have left as a councillor although at a bigger scale, focusing on development and empowerment,” he said.
Clr Moyo will battle it out with 16 other candidates including the incumbent Cde Joseph Tshuma of the ruling Zanu-PF.
