Chitungwiza decries surge in muggings
Diana Nherera
CHITUNGWIZA councillors are concerned with muggings in their wards due to prepaid meters installed by ZETDC on street lights.
Speaking at the 297th Ordinary council meeting on Thursday, Ward 10 Councillor Peter Matiringe requested an update on tower lights.
“When I was going through the report, I got some information that there was coordination between Zesa and the council,” he said.
“And we want to know how far they have gone in terms of making sure that we get street lights. Our tower lights are not working as they are prepaid.”
Clr Matiringe said residents were being mugged.
“One was robbed in the evening at his gate while coming from a soccer match. Another woman was mugged this morning and had her phone and money stolen,” he said.
“Zesa is saying we are moving from post-paid to pre-paid. They are saying they are commercialising a service which is of a service delivery nature. This is a service that ensures public safety. We cannot sit as city fathers and mothers while people are being mugged.”
Chitungwiza mayor Clr Rosaria Mangoma said she attended three feedback meetings where the issue of tower lights was raised, that women were being abused in the dark due to the lack of tower lights.
Acting works director, Engineer Talent Mashinga, said ZETDC was not communicating with the council.
“They are installing prepaid meters on any functioning street light,” he said.
“They have not written anything formal to us and they are claiming they have not seen our correspondence.
“And we asked them why they didn’t write to us. We don’t even have the meter numbers because they have not been handed over to us.
“Zesa does not have the paperwork on issues such as the meter numbers for the street lights, they are not forthcoming.” Other councillors called for a special meeting where Zesa would be invited. Ward 15 Cllr Tawanda Dawa said 10 people have been mugged in three months and there is an 8 pm curfew and called for speeding up of talks between Zesa and council.
The post Chitungwiza decries surge in muggings appeared first on herald.