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Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko

Chronicle Reporter
VICE President Phelekezela Mphoko has been hailed for his initiative to revive Bulawayo through consultations with former city mayors and their deputies to discuss strategies to restore the city to its former status as the country’s industrial hub.

VP Mphoko met the former mayors, their deputies and Town Clerks at the Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo’s offices at the Mhlahlandlela Government Complex last Friday.

He told the former officials that he wanted them to share ideas on how to tackle problems affecting the city that has led to massive de-industrialisation and job losses.

Political analyst Qhubani Moyo yesterday said VP Mphoko was making an important start to the process of getting Bulawayo back to its glory days.

“Stakeholder involvement is very important in harnessing all talent available for the problem at hand therefore, for me the Vice President is making a very important start to the process because he is including all people of Bulawayo regardless of their political affiliation to work out a solution to the problem,” said Moyo.

“Fundamentally, he has gone beyond and wants to understand the basis of the problem by engaging those people that were in active positions of administration of the city during the time when the problems started.

“While engaging the past mayors might not necessarily provide the solution, it can give an informed position regarding where the problem started and therefore it can assist in shaping sustainable solutions to the problem. It’s applauded that the Vice President has taken that initiative.”

Bulawayo United Residents Association (Bura) chairperson Winos Dube said VP Mphoko had shown sound leadership skills by engaging former mayors and their deputies to tackle challenges faced by the city.

“It takes a very intelligent leader who recognises that the development of the city takes stakeholders coming together and sharing ideas,” he said.

“We believe that the meetings should be extended to residents associations as they carry the voice of the communities. All leaders come from the communities and it’s important that they also contribute in the formulation of strategies to revive the city.”

Dube commended VP Mphoko for engaging former mayors and deputies from across the political divide saying the revival of Bulawayo lay in the hands of all living in the city.

Zanu-PF Bulawayo acting provincial chairperson Cde Christopher Mdingwa Dube said VP Mphoko had notified the structures that he would be holding the meeting to revive the city.

“We’re in support of what the VP is doing in an effort to revive the city. It’s important for people to come together and share ideas on such an important matter and we commend that,” he said.