Plumtree young women meet over service delivery

Young women in Plumtree Town, on Tuesday conducted a meeting where they discussed service delivery challenges that affect them and proposed solutions for the improvement of services in the small border town.

During the discussions, young women highlighted that service delivery has worsened during the COVID-19 period citing that the Local Authority should make efforts towards improving essential services.

Young women discussed that there is poor refuse collection which is promoting illegal dumping and engendering environmental and health hazards.

“The route towards the police station and the road along Zimnyama have become major dumping sites and because there is no refuse collection and this affects us as young women,” said one of the young women.

It was pinpointed that the Local Council should improve its communications strategies and utilize modern technology to issue bill statements especially at a time when they are unable to print and distribute water bill statements.

Young women highlighted that there is need to promote gender equality within the local authority so as to promote gender responsive service delivery.

“We only have men representing us and this leads to poor gender responsive service delivery. The water we consume is dirty and, in some areas, there is often no water.”

This is the time that the local authority should be encouraging water harvesting methods. Currently because we do not have water, we harvest it from rain water and if Council can assist with water purification tablets this will go a long way in improving the quality of our water,” said one concerned woman.

Young women highlighted the need for improved drainage systems in George Silundika area which is largely a wetland. They highlighted that most houses are likely to collapse because of stagnant water. Young women recommended that Council should survey sites before giving people houses. They mentioned that this water is unsafe as it often mixes with water from septic tanks and recommended that Council should revive the draining of septic tanks. They said children play in stagnant water and this could lead to cholera outbreaks. Young women suggested that there is need to develop culverts that will promote water movement from stagnant areas.

With regard to garbage collection, young women suggested that Plumtree Town Council should work collaboratively with Community Health club members to coordinate garbage collection.