THE Cowdray Park Residents’ Association (CPRA) has filed a petition with the Bulawayo City Council opposing their councillor’s poultry project at a newly acquired stand in the high-density suburb.
JUNIOR MOYO OWN CORRESPONDENT
Residents of Section 13 are unhappy that the project had been approved without consulting them.
“The open space was meant for community projects and we were surprised to hear that it had been handed to the councillor for his personal poultry project,” one resident said.
The petition dated March 28 2014 reads: “It has come to us as a surprise that the councillor of Ward 28 in Cowdray Park, Collet Ndlovu, has announced a plan to run a poultry farming project within the midst of our houses that we herewith stay.
“What boggles our minds most is that we were neither officially informed by the councillor nor the city council of this project in question.”
The residents said they feared a disease outbreak taking into account that the project is in the middle of a residential area.
“We wish the department of health inspectorate could re-assess the environment if it really suits the keeping of chickens,” part of the petition reads.
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“We feel it is a health hazard and therefore the councillor should have opted for another project that does not endanger the health of the community.”
Contacted for comment, Ndlovu of MDC-T dismissed the residents’ complaints saying they were politically motivated to tarnish his image.
“I think there is someone from the opposition who is creating all this chaos who doesn’t want to see me succeed because I have applied for this stand and I have the papers to prove that,” he said.
“It was even advertised by council such that those who have objections can raise a query, but no one did.
“As for consultation, I told a residents’ representative during a meeting where he confirmed that he had told residents about the project.
“I even explained to them today that I used the right procedures to acquire the stand.
“Some residents are just complaining, but they live far away from the area.”
