THE Bulawayo United Residents Association (BURA) will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this weekend, highlighting its achievements as a body that has advocated for better service delivery in Zimbabwe’s second largest city.
In an interview, BURA chairperson Winos Dube told Southern Eye that the celebrations will be held at White City Stadium on Saturday under the theme Celebrating 60 Years of Total Commitment.
Among the dignitaries expected at the commemorations are Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Judith Ncube, mayor David Coltart, other residents associations and political parties, among others.
BURA is the oldest residents association in the country. It was formed in 1964, with the late Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu as the first chairperson, while the late Vice-President John Landa Nkomo as the secretary-general.
Other luminaries who chaired BURA include the late national hero Sydney Malunga, Toti Khumalo and Edward Simela.
Dube said the association was formed to advocate for the development of the city through engagement.
“It was formed after realisation that Africans had no voice in council. Most of the accommodation structures were only meant for single people like Iminyela and Sidojiwe houses, to mention just a few. Its aim is to advocate for the ownership of properties,” he said.
“We wanted to come up with something different from a nationalistic approach. We are happy that the association groomed a lot of national leaders, not that they joined Zanu PF only, but we had others like Fletcher Dulini and George Ndlovu who joined opposition politics.”
- BCC gets tough on vending
- Health hazard looms as Byo suburbs go for 3 weeks without water
- Residents angry over Gwayi-Shangani Dam delays
- Uproar over council bills
Keep Reading
Dube added that their aim according to their mission, is to push for the total satisfaction of Bulawayo communities.
“One of our achievements is the restoration of Mpilo (Central) Hospital, whereby we were approached by the board that was there in 2008 during the worst economic era in the country. They told us that all systems have collapsed in the hospital,” he said.
“A mortuary which had a capacity of 30 bodies was forced to handle 208 bodies. Some bodies had reached advanced stages of decomposition and we mobilised resources to relieve pressure on the hospital.
“The Bulawayo City Council provided us with burial space where 85 bodies were buried in two days with the assistance of transport operators and other service providers.
“Patients were sleeping on the floor. We made an appeal to other stakeholders like churches, funeral parlours etc, and that is when we saw other stakeholders coming in to adopt some of the wards as private ward.”
Dube said they also mobilised funds for the installation of a perimeter fence at the hospital.
“We have intervened in the decision by the government for the taking over of all water supplies by Zinwa [Zimbabwe National Water Authority]. We said no to this and Bulawayo remains the only city that has its water supplies not taken over by Zinwa. BURA is apolitical,” Dube said.
“The challenge is that we have residents that are highly polarised, we do not oppose the government of the day we leave that for the politicians.
“We depend on residents’ donations for our daily operations because we believe that sponsors will make us dance according to their tune.”
