FORMER Bulawayo mayor Thaba Moyo and his deputy Amen Mpofu have warned against name changes for mere political mileage saying it was a costly exercise the government was saddling the municipality with.
MTHANDAZO NYONI OWN CORRESPONDENT
The government has directed council to put in place motions to change English names of the city’s roads, places and buildings to reflect the total independence of Zimbabwe.
According to council minutes, the town clerk reported on December 4 2013 that the provincial administrator had written a letter to council proposing some city streets and buildings be renamed.
Moyo said the government should take full responsibility of the renaming process after wide-ranging consultations and not overburden council with discussing useless motions.
“The government should carry out its own consultations and be responsible for the name changes instead of overburdening council,” Moyo said.
“Council is under pressure to deliver meaningful service to residents and name changes cannot be at the top of its agenda. The government has no right to change names of private buildings without first consulting their owners.”
Mpofu said the government should prioritise the reindustrialisation of Bulawayo first before talking about renaming streets.
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“This is not a priority. Let industry pick up first then pursue these other secondary issues,” he said.
“There is nothing wrong with renaming streets, but it must not be done for the sake of doing it or just for political mileage.
“It took almost a decade to rename Main Street after (the late Vice-President) Joshua Nkomo despite the fact that council had proposed it long back, but nothing was done because council has no power.
“If it took 10 years to rename a street after a person like Nkomo, imagine how long it will take to rename other streets. Of what benefit is it for the people of Bulawayo?” Mpofu quirried.
The Bulawayo Progressive Residents’ Association organising secretary Ambrose Sibindi said although the idea was noble, the timing was wrong.
He also called on the authorities to first consult owners of private buildings about the proposed name changes.
“The government must not impose its decisions because owners have rights over them.
They should allow them to come up with their names,” Sibindi said.
“The issue is wrongly timed and I feel that the little funds we have should be channelled towards service delivery and other more pressing issues,” he added.
Bulawayo United Residents’ Association chairperson Winos Dube said street naming should not be done indiscriminately.
“Let streets be renamed only after people who contributed much to the liberation of this country like the late General Lookout Masuku and Nikita Mangena. They must also honour people like (former senior national soccer team legend) Adam Ndlovu who contributed much in the field of sport,” Dube said.
“I do not think the government should be kept busy renaming streets yet there is the economy that requires their attention.”
Another former Bulawayo mayor and Zanu PF politburo member Joshua Malinga said the renaming of the city’s streets and buildings was necessary to help rid the country of all colonial names.
Malinga, however, called for extensive consultations with private building owners before effecting the name change proposal.
Mthwakazi Youth Leaders’ Joint Resolution spokesperson Mqondisi Moyo said the name changes were long overdue.
“Why has it taken so long to do a simple thing like that?
“The move is welcomed if it is not being done for political mileage,” he said.
“It will enable us to easily identify who we are and teach the correct history to future generations because Ndebele history has been largely distorted up to this point,” Moyo added.
