Anti-litter Campaign Intensified Some of the stories in this issue
I wanted to work for residents—P4
ZDDT Has Groomed Me —P8
Enhancing Citizen Mobilisation — P12
ZDDT Commended— P14
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BULAWAYO Amazing Stars Arts Academy (ASAA), in partnership with the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT) and Sally Foundation, has intensified its anti-litter campaign in Bulawayo, a development which has seen an escalation in the number of performances this month. On the 12th of August 2017, ASAA thrilled nearly 80 people when the drama group performed at Harare Road Terminus in Bulawayo. The audience, which included vendors and commuters, watched the show which was coloured by humour and satire.
Five days later, ASAA took their anti-litter campaign to Northend Shopping Centre in Bulawayo’s Ward 2.Local residents were thrilled by the show, which left them begging for more. ASAA centred their message on keeping the environment clean, participating in community programmes and attending residents meetings. On the same day, the drama group enthralled a crowd estimated at 150 citizens when they performed at Renkini Long Distance Bus Terminus in Bulawayo’s Ward 7. The crowd included vendors, passers-by and travellers who had come to board buses destined for rural areas and other towns and cities outside Bulawayo. “I have learnt a lot from this drama, especially when it comes to issues of smartness,” said Leroy Malunga, who watched the Northend show.
Partnerships Have Kept Ngozi Intact NGOZI MINE –Pastor Mitchell Lawrence of the Bethel Christian Church, who is involved in missionary and charity work at Bulawayo’s dumpsite settlement, popularly known as Ngozi Mine, has said partnerships with different organizations, which include the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT), have kept the community intact. The pastor was speaking to ZDDT News at the site recently, soon after handing over a donation of goodies to over 100 children between the ages of five and nine. The contributions were sourced from the United States of America and City Harvest, South Africa. “We appreciate different partners coming in; we want to thank City Harvest, South Africa for thinking about us,” said Pastor Mitchell. The man of the cloth, who planted the first seed of the Ngozi Mine Christian Church three years ago, said that, without the assistance of partners, his church would not be able to achieve what it is currently doing for the community. He thanked ZDDT for helping them build the first ever toilets in the area. “We were struggling to finish the toilets and ZDDT sponsored all the finances for the toilets. They are up now and they are looking beautiful. These are the only toilets in the whole community,” said Pastor Mitchell. “We want to also thank ZDDT who have now started to help us put up a second structure (library). We want to thank Mike, his wife (Sally Foundation) and the organization for helping us in putting up the second structure, which we are trying to complete right now.” He went on to pay tribute to Young At Heart drama group, which is sponsored by ZDDT to educate the community on behaviour change. Pastor Mitchell added: “We thank ZDDT for standing with us and it has been such an honour. We thank Mustard Seed, a Catholic organization that comes to feed our Children. It is just good to see these partnerships and networking together. Where we struggle, someone comes in to make it a reality.”
“I Have Learnt a Lot About Mobilising People” NJUBE– Ward 25 Community Action Team (CAT) member, Jenea Nyambe, who participated at a recent community mobilisation training workshop said it left her better equipped to do the job.
Drawing participants from across Bulawayo’s wards, the capacity building workshop, held at the Lutheran Church Hall in Njube, was organised by the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT) in partnership with TRACE.
“From this workshop, we learnt a lot,” Nyambe told ZDDT News. “For example, we learnt how to mobilise people and how to humble ourselves. We have been advised how to use people who connect well with most people in the community.” She said she had come to understand that a number of strategies are necessary for one to effectively mobilise citizens. “It is also said: ‘Send a thief to catch a thief.’ We realised that, in some instances, we have been making mistakes as we have been calling for meetings which were not being well-attended,” she added. Nyambe paid tribute to ZDDT and TRACE for seeing the need to capacitate them as community leaders. CATs perform a vital role supporting their respective councilors in disseminating information, organizing meetings and performing the role of the second tier
New Garden Project BULAWAYO– Councillor for Bulawayo’s Ward 26, which covers Emganwini Township, says he is excited about the newly-established Emganwini project. The nutritional garden, now known as Greenfields, is supported by the Zimbabwe Development Trust (ZDDT) with funding from the Direct Aid Programme of the Australian Embassy and GDG and Sally Foundation, both of Australia. Over 100 families from Emganwini’s Emasotsheni section are set to benefit from the project at a time when citizens are grappling with economic challenges nation-wide. “I am very excited about this great development initiative brought in by ZDDT,” said Hlabano.
Successful people have a social responsibility to make the world a better place and not just take from it. — Carrie Underwood “This is a very big and massive achievement in my life history because, to have over 100 people benefitting , it is a great achievement. I feel very proud and I thank ZDDT for coming up with that initiative.” He went on to praise ZDDT for training beneficiaries on how to manage the garden, adding that that would ensure that the project remains sustainable while contributing to poverty alleviation.
We Have Learnt So Much About Market Strategy SIZINDA – Sally Masuku, one of the gardeners who participated at the recent Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT) market strategy training, says she gained a lot of knowledge from the workshop. Held at Sizinda Community Garden, the session was facilitated by commercial vegetable grower, Yvonne Berkhout. ZDDT, in partnership with GDG and Sally Foundation of Australia, is supporting five self-help nutritional gardens in Sizinda, Old Pumula, Pumula South, Luveve and the newly established Emganwini. As part of the commercialisation of the project, aimed at providing additional income for the households of beneficiaries, Sizinda Community Garden has since begun supplying its products to a leading retailer in the country, Pick and Pay. Masuku is a market gardener at the Kirimuva Garden in Ward 19’s Old Pumula Township. “Today we learnt so much on market strategy; where to sell our produce and on packaging,” Masuku told ZDDT News immediately after the training. “Most of the times we have been putting our produce in plastic bags without labeling them which was making it difficult to sell, but now we know how to package, sell our produce and how to look for the market.” Masuku, who said the workshop had been an eye opener for the participants, added she was confident their lives, as garden beneficiaries, would change for the better. She added that the value-addition training in which beneficiaries were taught how to make jams, pickles and other related products using produce from their garden, had positively impacted on her life. “That programme has impacted my life so much, such that as I speak right now, I have the market. I supply the Theological College of Zimbabwe, St Bernard’s High School as well as my community,” she said with a contented smile on her face.
I Wanted to Work for Residents – Musonda MZILIKAZI- Sheila Musonda, one of the eight female councillors in the male-dominated Bulawayo City Council (BCC), says she was driven by the desire to work for residents when she contested the 2013 polls, which landed her the Ward 8 Council seat. BCC has a total of 29 Council seats. Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT), which is involved in a number of programmes aimed at capacitating city fathers to deliver on their mandate, recently caught up with Musonda at her office in Mzilikazi Township. ZDDT undertook a variety of training sessions for both Bulawayo and Gweru councillors when they came into office in 2013 in an endeavour to introduce them to the responsibilities of policy making and exemplary leadership as part of their new mandate. Musonda’s Ward 8 covers Thorngrove, Nguboyenja, Burombo, Barbour Fields and Mzilikazi townships. “I wanted to work for residents and that is why I contested as a councillor,” Musonda told ZDDT News. “As a woman, I realized there were so many challenges peculiar to women, so I really wanted to assist them as well. Musonda, who said she enjoys the support she is getting from residents in her community, challenged other women to arise and take up leadership positions. She said women better understand challenges facing communities as they are the ones who bear the burden of raising children. Born in Makokoba on the 13th of December in 1951, Musonda did her primary education at Lobengula Primary and later attended Sobukhazi High School both in Mzilikazi. Having worked at different places including Bulawayo’s industrial site, Musonda later joined Mpilo hospital in 1979 and retired in 2013. The outspoken Musonda said she works closely with residents in her community, helping them address their challenges, adding she now better understands them and their needs. “In Ward 8, we need more boreholes because the ones that we have are very few,” she explained. “Residents want to grow vegetables. My ward is dominated by the elderly, so we wish that they get gardens which can help them earn a living.” Almost completing her five-year term as a councillor, Musonda said over the years she had learnt a lot about leadership. “I have learnt that, as a councillor, I must welcome everyone and must also be very humble,” she said. “This is so because everyone will be looking up to you. A councillor is below the people and is a servant of all; people are above the councillor.” Servant leadership is key to the fundamentals of ZDDT’s on-going leadership training programme.
“I Have Learnt a Lot about Constitution Writing.” EMGANWINI- Ward 26 resident, Clara Madamombe, who participated in a constitution-writing workshop recently organized for Emganwini Community Garden beneficiaries by the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT), said she learnt a lot from the training. “We have learnt a lot of things from this workshop that we did not even know,” said Madamombe. “We learnt that committee members serve at our pleasure as garden members. We have been taught of their responsibilities. We now know or example, what is expected of the treasurer and chairperson. Officer bearers should execute their duties in a fair and transparent manner.” She said should the adopted constitution be adhered to, there was no doubt their community garden, now known as Greenfields, would grow to dizzy heights. “We can develop as a community through this constitution. We have been here since morning discussing this matter and for most of us it is our first time to attend such meetings. We now have knowledge such that we can even assist others. As a part of ZDDT’s grassroots training, residents learn how to create a constitution and how it behaves as a rule book for success, protecting members and their investment.
Raising My Grandchildren from Garden Produce –Lucy Nkala OLD PUMULA – Lucy Nkala, 72, one of the beneficiaries of Kirimuva Garden, a partnership between GDG, Sally Foundation and Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT), has said she was raising her grandchildren from the proceeds of the sale of her garden produce. “For
me this garden is very important because I raise my grandchildren with what I am getting from here,” she
said. The elderly woman, who hails from Mtshabezi, Gwanda, said she was in love with farming. “Back
home in Mtshabezi, we are farmers; I love farming so much, my son,” said Nkala. “We protect our tomatoes from frost by covering them with grass, as you can see here. We keep them covered as we harvest those that have ripened.” Nkala, who sells vegetables at her home in Old Pumula, said she would remain forever grateful to ZDDT for the trust’s initiative.
Lucy Nkala harvesting her tomato crop
It wasn’t my choice – Cllr Hlabano BULAWAYO–
While some leaders have volunteered themselves for leadership positions, Councillor for Bulawayo’s Ward 26, Norman Hlabano, says that was never the case with him.
“It wasn’t my choice but I was asked by the residents to stand for them as a councillor.” he told ZDDT News. Ward 26 covers Emganwini Township, situated 10km from the Central Business District, along the Bulawayo-Plumtree Highway. Having served as a councillor in the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) for nearly 10 years now, Hlabano has chaired a number of Council Committees since he came into office in 2008 including Engineering Services and Environment, while he currently chairs the Water Committee. This experienced community leader, who has benefited from ZDDT’s leadership training, has also acted as mayor of Bulawayo on a number of occasions. ZDDT recently caught up with the ever enthusiastic Hlabano to find out what inspired him to get into local government. “Right, I will hit the nail on the head,” he began his explanation. “During my yester years, I used to be a government engineer in the clothing industry but, as things went haywire, companies started to close down and people started to stage the so-called stay-aways and then I was also affected to an extent that I felt together with the community that something had to be done on behalf of the people.” He said it was however not easy for him to accede to the residents’ request. Born in Filabusi District, Matabeleland South Province, on the 17th of February in 1958, Hlabano completed his primary education at Tshingwango Primary School in the same district, before proceeding to Chegato in Mberengwa for his secondary education. Asked in June what it felt like when he was the acting mayor, Hlabano, who prides himself as a people-driven councillor, had this to say: “A Mayor is a councillor. Like I said earlier on, I have chaired various committees; I am comfortable, there is nothing new about it.” The Ward 26 Councillor, who has maintained that leadership is being a good listener, says he does not see his job as a tough one.“What happens is, if you are representing the people, you need to be flexible in taking any challenges which may come by you. So, at this point in time, I do not see it being a difficult task,” he said. Hlabano has been instrumental in the setting up of the Emganwini nutritional garden project, now known as Greenfields, which is supported by the Zimbabwe Development Trust (ZDDT) with funding from the Direct Aid Programme, GDG and Sally Foundation both of Australia. Over 100 families from Emganwini’s Emasotsheni section are set to benefit from the massive project. “I am very excited about this great development initiative brought in by ZDDT,” said Hlabano recently. “This is a very big and massive achievement in my life history, because to have over 100 people benefitting is a great achievement. I feel very proud and I thank ZDDT for coming up with that initiative.”
One-on-one with a Gweru Councillor ZDDT Field Correspondent, Mandla Tshuma (MT), recently met with Councillor Kenneth Sithole (KS) of Gweru’s Ward 4, who was on a private visit to Bulawayo. Tshuma chatted briefly with Sithole, who is a beneficiary of ZDDT trainings in the Midlands capital. Below is their brief conversation. MT: Good afternoon councillor. May you kindly introduce yourself and tell our readers how long have you been interacting with ZDDT as a community leader. KS: I am Councillor Kenneth Sithole from Gweru urban, Ward 4. I am one of those councillors who have been in office from 2008 and up to now I am still a councillor. I worked with ZDDT from as early as 2009. MT: How would you say you have benefited from working with ZDDT? KS: I have received important trainings from ZDDT. ZDDT became visible in my ward then and then Gweru City Council. MT: What else would you say about the work you did with ZDDT in your ward and the city as whole? KS: Quite a number of clean-up campaigns were done with ZDDT. We also had some conflict management trainings and I learnt a lot from that. MT: What impact has the ZDDT trainings had on your leadership attributes? KS: The ZDDT training encouraged me. It made me to interact with the grassroots. The programmes that were rolled-out by ZDDT were mostly to help us interface with residents. I gained a lot out of that, although I think you have to do more. I feel sorry for my friends who are there at the moment because they have not received as much as we received. But I want to believe that the situation at the moment economically is not very good. MT: How would you want ZDDT to assist you in discharging you leadership duties in the community? KS:I still want to invite you as ZDDT to come to Gweru, work with our councillors and do more. If you properly train a child, that child will remain with that attitude of working. We need more workshops. We did another workshop here in Bulawayo at the Museum sometime but this was with the old councillors. We need one with new councillors in the area of conflict management. Learning how to manage our conflicts is very important, especially to councillors. MT: Thank you very much councillor for taking your time to talk to me. KS: You are welcome
Councillor Meets Residents with Disabilities NKETA - On October 7 ,Councillor for Bulawayo’s Ward 25, Mzama Dube, convened a special meeting with residents living with disabilities in the community. Ward 25 covers Nketa 7 and Nketa 9 Townships. The indaba, held at Mgiqika Primary School, in Nketa 9, attracted a total of 61 residents who also included able-bodied people. Speaking during the meeting, Cllr Dube touched on the need for disabled members of the community to have access to water, adding they should not suffer disconnections. He said in the event of unfortunate water disconnections, people with disabilities should report the matter to the councillor. Cllr Dube also stressed the need for members of the community to take care of the people living with disabilities.
ZDDT Groomed Me NKULUMANE– Bulawayo’s Ward 20 Councillor, Earnest Rafamoyo, has said the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT), groomed him to become a community leader in the true sense. Serving his second term as an elected councillor, Rafamoyo said he remains grateful to ZDDT for the role the trust has played, and continues to play, in his life as a leader. “I would like to thank and give great appreciation to ZDDT,” Rafamoyo told ZDDT News. “ZDDT has basically groomed me to become a community leader, through courses, interactions and workshops. Rafamoyo said that, even during the on-going hardships, with which residents are having to grapple, through ZDDT workshops in which he participated, he can keep on building hope for the people of Zimbabwe to help themselves wherever they can. “Through ZDDT I have managed to spread the word of volunteering, which is a tool which basically was used by the Americans during their revolution,” said Rafamoyo. He added: “In as far as Ward 20 is concerned, in as far as volunteering is concerned, we have managed to keep our community clean and every institution spot-on.”
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ZDDT projects include: Community Outreach: Support and strengthen institutions and structures built at community level. Councillor/ Local Authority (LA) / Residents relationship: ZDDT encourages Cllrs to be effective leaders by working with Residents and involving them in ‘managing’ the community – a participatory and community based management approach. ZDDT motivates Cllrs and Residents to work effectively with the LA – the LA in turn provides Service Delivery....this is development democracy. Training: ZDDT provides Leadership, Service Delivery, Life Skills and Team Building training to Councillors, Local Authorities and Communities. Nutritional Gardens: This is capacity building (Team Building and Business and Agro Training). People participation that leads to ownership and tolerance of the differing views and allegiances of the individual.
Capacitating Community Leaders NJUBE–Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT), in partnership with TRACE, organised a Community Action Team (CAT) members workshop in Bulawayo, aimed at capacitating leaders with community mobilization skills. Spearheading development in the communities, CAT members work with councillors, residents and other stakeholders. ZDDT and its development partners regularly train community leaders in Bulawayo and Gweru with a view to promoting democracy at the grassroots, where the foundation is formed. Such training also aims at capacitating leaders as they discharge their duties in the community and, in the process, improving representation and service delivery. The workshop held at Njube’ Lutheran Church Hall, saw 18 CAT members share challenges they face in the wards as they exchanged notes on leadership. Facilitating the training, independent consultant, Leonard Mupezani, told participants that solutions lie in their ability to effectively mobilise citizens for action. “The power is in the people; the power is in us being able to mobilise people,” said Mupezani. Participants, who were taken through various methods they can employ in community mobilisation, said the training had significantly empowered them. “I learnt a lot today from this training,” said Elizabeth Mutereko, Ward 24. “I have attended workshops before, but I think this one is the best. The facilitator was just wonderful. He taught us a lot on community mobilisation and how to go about it. He also emphasized on how we should also handle ourselves as community mobilisers ourselves.” Virginia Nyathi, Ward 22, another participant, said the workshop helped her understand how to approach members of the community as a mobiliser. Others thanked ZDDT for empowering them with confidence to lead and challenge as well expressing their gratitude for the skills, adding their lives would never be the same again, in as far as community mobilisation is concerned.
Know Your Bulawayo Councillors
Passion For Children Unparalleled IMINYELA – Having started as a grouping of former members of the Child Protection Committee (CPC), an arm of the Department of Social Welfare, MAMIO’s passion for children has grown to unparalleled levels. MAMIO is an abbreviation for Mabuthweni, Iminyela and O Square, Community-based Organisation (CBO), working in col-
The secondary and high schools covered are Njube, Lobengula, Msitheli, Mpopoma, Sikhulile and Magwegwe. Phiri and her colleagues, who started as CPC members in 2008, said they had since developed a passion for children. She explained: “We were looking after children and developed a passion for them. We were identifying specific cases and taking them to the Social Services Department. I have learnt that we have to be people full of love if we are looking after children.” Phiri said, some of the children with whom they work, live with their grandparents, while others are on their own. “We are not able to give these children all they need, which makes our work become difficult,” she said. “We do not normally give them food but, if there are households with food needs, we can chip in but we do not give them regularly.”
laboration with SOS in catering for the welfare of disadvantaged children, especially orphans in their various communities. ZDDT News recently caught up with MAMOI coordinator, Amina Phiri, and her colleagues, at their base at Induba Primary School, to get a clear picture of the organisation’s community work. Phiri said they were working with over 1000 children learning at different schools in Bulawayo. “As a CBO, we identify needy children and then enroll them with SOS, who are doing much of the work at the moment,” she said. SOS is paying school fees for the children while also taking care of their medical bills whenever they fall ill. “We have four interventions. There is education; there is health; there is psycho-social support and economic empowerment,” explained Phiri. “We take children up to the age of 17 as we enroll them but, when they reach 18 still within the programme, we continue supporting them academically. These kids are learning at different schools and we are paying fees for both primary and secondary school pupils.” She said some of children, both girls and boys, are taken to vocational training centres upon completion of Ordinary Level. MAMOI, Phiri said, has children in Pelandaba SDA, Induba, Helemu, Mtshede, Ingubo, Insukamini, Mpumelelo and Nkulumane primary schools.
Phiri said they sometimes call the children under the PSS programme and teach them, adding that when funds are Mandla chats with Amina and Similo available, they organise talent shows for them. On fund-raising for the future sustainability of the programme, Phiri said they managed to talk to Induba Primary School authorities who gave them a tuck shop to run. In the near future, with funds permitting, Phiri said they would venture into poultry. She added that her team, which has a coordinator, finance officer, treasurer, secretary and other members, had recently been trained to produce mushrooms saying, when SOS pulls out of the project in 2019, they will be having somewhere to start from in terms of cater-
Enhancing Citizen Mobilisation BULAWAYO –The Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT) supported flyers advertising resident meetings in Bulawayo, have gone a long way in enhancing citizen mobilisation in Zimbabwe’s second largest city. ZDDT, which enjoys a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bulawayo City Council, supports councillors organising resident meetings by circulating flyers which reach over 2000 residents per ward. This ZDDT outreach initiative ensures that almost every household in a ward receives councillors’ notifications of meetings, improving awareness and empowerment of local people who now attend in increasing numbers. ZDDT, which has an open door policy in its dealings with the city fathers, welcomes councillors who want to be supported by flyers whenever they are having meetings such as feedback and budget consultation meetings. Bulawayo councillors and Community Action Team (CAT) members, who spoke to ZDDT, appreciated the assistance they are getting from the trust and its development partners making their jobs easier when it comes to rallying the public in the hope that they can air their views and demand accountability from their elected representative. “We really appreciate the kind of support that we are getting from ZDDT in terms of flyers that advertise our meetings with residents,” said Ward 22 Councillor, Rodney Jele. “Through ZDDT flyers, our meetings get publicised and as a result people attend in their numbers. I encourage ZDDT to continue supporting us in this.” Ward 27 Councillor, Siboniso Khumalo, also paid tribute to ZDDT for supporting councillors with flyers. Speaking during a budget consultative meeting in September, Khumalo, said: “ZDDT is helping us a lot with flyers as we organise resident meetings.” He added: “This has seen an increase in the number of people who attend meetings because flyers are distributed all over the ward. We would really want to appreciate and thank ZDDT for that.” Moses Dube, a Ward 9 CAT member, said flyers were proving to be a powerful tool of mobilising residents for development. “The flyers have come to be a real mobilisation method for people to know what, where to go and when,” said Dube.
“In the flyers, you will find out that there are agendas. If flyers are distributed in time, people get to know in advance what would be discussed in the meetings. They will then make some research and when they come to the meeting, they will know exactly what is required of them.” “SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN ATION” RESIDENT MEETING WARD 2 VENUE: High Beadle DATE: 13 August 2013 (Sunday) TIME: 15:00hrs THEME: Councillor’s Feedback AGENDA: 1. Feedback 2. Ward Retention Fund 3. Police patrol 4. Roads Proudly sponsored by ZDDT— With the People for the People
EMGANWINI – Over 100 Ward 26 residents, who are beneficiaries of the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT)’s newly established Emganwini Community Garden in Bulawayo, flocked to a training session organized for them by the trust. The garden, funded by Sally Foundation and DAP, the Direct Aid Programme of the Australian Embassy, aims at uplifting the living standards of vulnerable members of the community in the ward. Project preparation included constitution writing and conflict management, facilitated by an independent consultant, Leonard Mupezani, was held at Senzangakhona Primary School. This comes at a time when the 121 garden beneficiaries are at the early stages of developing their self-help community garden. A sound constitution and conflict management skills are known to under pin the success and sustainability of such community enterprises. In his welcome remarks, ZDDT National Development Officer, Simon Spooner, said Emganwini residents should understand that the project belongs to them and not donors, not committees and not politicians, adding the onus was upon them to ensure it succeeds. “This is not just about vegetable farming; it is about making profits and improving the standard of living in each household,” said Spooner. “It is also about pride. This is the future.” He added that the value-addition and commercialisation phases of the project would also follow to ensure it remains sustainable and continues to grow. Participants, who spoke to ZDDT News immediately after the training, described it as helpful. “First and foremost, I would say we have learnt to be united as people as we bring our ideas together,” said Michael Ntaba. “We did not know that a constitution involves a number of stakeholders. Donors have a number of expectations wherever they pour in their funds.”
ZDDT Commended COWDRAY PARK– Councillor for Bulawayo’s Ward 28, which covers Cowdray Park Township, Collet Ndlovu, has commended the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT)’s monthly Business Social Credit Scheme (BSCS) as a step in the right direction. Sally Foundation of Australia and Freight Consultants are contributors to the special scheme in which needy family members are given units of US$50 to cushion them against economic hardships. This is an essential element in ZDDT’s social responsibility programme as it brings the business fraternity closer to the community to which it owes existence. Speaking on October 11, immediately after a cash handover to Emely Moyo, 77, of Cowdray Park, Ndlovu said ZDDT was doing a commendable job, adding the trust should continue to assist less-privileged members of the community. “As the councillor for the area, I would like to thank ZDDT for the great job that they are doing in all the wards of Bulawayo in helping us look after the elderly,” said Ndlovu. “As councillors we identify the needy in the community. For example this elderly woman has no one to look after her. She just relies on well-wishers.” The councillor disclosed that Moyo was even struggling to pay rentals in the room in which she stays. “As we speak, she risks being evicted any time. She stays alone here. If the government was the government of yester years, this elderly woman would be getting something from the Department of Social Welfare. Go and tell your donors that we really appreciate their help and support.”
Councillor Leads Together with the People Published By Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust Stories & Photos By Mandla Tshuma Email: mandlajournalist@gmail.com
MAKOKOBA– Bulawayo’s Ward 7 Councillor, James Sithole, Ward 7, says, through association with the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT), he now leads together with the people as opposed to ruling the people. Cllr Sithole is serving his second terms as a policy maker as he was successfully re-elected in 2013. “I don’t believe in ruling people,” Sithole told ZDDT News. “I have learnt that it is important to rule together with the people. In Ndebele they call it (ruling) “Ukubusa” but I do not have to rule people but I have to rule together with the people.”
Story contributions By ZDDT Field Officers Edited By Simon Spooner Projects Manager Angela Mason
Sithole, a beneficiary of ZDDT’s leadership trainings, went on to further explain that ruling together with the people entails a lot of consultation and allowing people
M & E Officer Nozibusiso Sivalo Finance Officer Laura Buckley 10 Carlisle Street Belmont
to be involved in decision-making.
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Email: news@zddt.org
“When you involve people right from the outset, it will instil a sense of ownership. Whatever you do, they do not see it as councillor’s thing or City Council’s thing but they take it as their thing,” he said.
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A Leader Should Be Well-Behaved NKULUMANE—Ward 22 Community Action Team (CAT) member, Irene Moyo, says she has learnt over years that a community leader should be someone well-behaved. Moyo was speaking to ZDDT News recently, a few minutes before attending an expanded Zone Meeting organised by the trust in Nkulumane. Having received capacity training from ZDDT, CAT members are residents who work closely with councillors in their respective wards in spearheading development. “I have learnt that a leader should be someone well-behaved and that he or she should be a person who knows how to work well with the people,” said Moyo.
Commitment to Serving People FAMONA– Bulawayo’s Ward 20 Councillor, Earnest Rafamoyo, who has clearly embraced the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT)’s servant leadership concepts, recently spent half of the day at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) offices in Famona, assisting residents. ZDDT’s servant leadership concept, which is at core of the trust’s trainings for community leaders, always puts the people ahead of leaders. The councillor volunteered himself to serve anyone in Bulawayo, including who do not reside in his ward, by signing of affidavits as a commissioner of oaths. ZEC, which is now registering citizens for the next year’s elections, requires that residents who cannot produce proof of residence to fill-in affidavits which are certified by commissioners of oaths. All councillors automatically hold this post to enable them to contribute to society. “I have decided to come here to assist those who want to register as voters and need proof of residence,” Rafamoyo, told ZDDT’s Field Officer, Vusumuzi Chirwa. “I am doing this voluntarily, as a servant leader. Even yesterday I was here doing that from outside.” Speaking later on, in an interview with ZDDT News, Rafamoyo said the trust influenced him to try to sacrifice his time for the people, especially in such important national processes as voter registration and access to personal documentation. “This is important even if benefits may not just come there and then. ZDDT has always inspired me to help the people. I urge other councillors to also do the same,” added Rafamoyo.
Training Benefits Councillors
BULAWAYO - The Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust (ZDDT), which shares a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bulawayo City Council, continues to assist councilors improve service delivery. Capacity-building workshops for the city fathers are some of the ways through which the trust is contributing towards improved services in the city. In a recent interview with ZDDT News, BCC Chamber Secretary, Sikhangele Zhou, has said the ZDDT training offered to councillors in Zimbabwe’s second largest city, have helped city fathers improve their performance at the council chambers. ZDDT has, for many years, conducted a capacity-building programme for both Bulawayo and Gweru councilors to equip them with better skills which they require to perform as responsible policy makers and guardians of the services the local authorities offer residents. The workshops include a component of how councillors ought to conduct themselves in the Chambers. Zhou said there was no doubt the training that Bulawayo councillors received from different organisations, ZDDT included, had helped councillors improve. “There are many factors that are influencing their debate now and including your training, I guess,” said Zhou. “They (councillors) are now more aware of council business and are experienced in council. They are now better than the first day they came into office.” She added that councillors today now know what council business is all about.
See you again in 2018 and, in the meantime, stay safe, be proud and……Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!!!!