Insiza council blamed for prostitution explosion

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RESIDENTS of Filabusi’s Ward 15 in Insiza are up in arms with the Insiza Rural District Council (RDC) for randomly issuing night club licences saying this was fuelling child prostitution in the district.

RESIDENTS of Filabusi’s Ward 15 in Insiza are up in arms with the Insiza Rural District Council (RDC) for randomly issuing night club licences saying this was fuelling child prostitution in the district. SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER

The residents complained that the district had experienced a rapid increase in night spots over the past few years contributing to high levels of promiscuity among schoolchildren and a low pass rate.

The disgruntled residents met at Mthwakazi Hall in Filabusi where they resolved to confront the RDC over the issue and other service delivery related concerns.

“Council officials were supposed to attend the meeting, but they failed and we went ahead with it as members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police were present,” said a resident who attended the meeting.

“As residents, we complained about the increase of night clubs. Filabusi centre has four night clubs yet it is just a rural business centre,”said the resident.

We agreed that the council must respect the culture of our rural set up. What is happening here is a shame,”

The residents said women parade naked outside these night clubs and some schoolgirls were being lured into this life as they were made to believe that it was a quick way of making money.

“This is disturbing and we believe this must be one of the reasons why we have poor results in the district.”

They also complained over exorbitant pricing of residential stands at most rural business centres.

“We discussed how the council is selling its stands at very high prices as if this is a fully urbanised area while it is just a growth point,” said the resident.

They said stands were being sold at $2 000 while the RDC charged levies for shop operators ranging from $2 000 to $5 000 yet service delivery was so poor.

Contacted for comment, the RDC chief executive officer Fedres Manombe said he was not aware of the residents’ meeting nor had he received their grievances.

“I was not around and I am not aware of the meeting but I have heard some of the things you say they are raising,” he said.

“I am aware that they are complaining of the high prices of stands but it’s not that they are expensive; maybe our terms are not affordable to them and we will try to put in place terms which they will afford.

“I will have to see what they talked about and I will be able to respond.”

Manombe said his council would try and address the residents’ complaints about the mushrooming of night clubs as it was a genuine concern.  Twitter feedback silasnkala