Binga residents have welcomed the installation of streetlights in parts of Binga Town, saying improved lighting could enhance public safety amid concerns over robberies, dangerous wildlife and snakes.
The Binga District Residents Association (BIDRA) welcomed the initiative by the Binga Local Board and Binga Kwik Mart, while calling for more streetlights at the town’s bus terminus and in residential areas.
In a statement, BIDRA programmes officer Mayasi Mudenda said more streetlights would improve the safety and use of public spaces at night.
“Binga needs a lot of streets lights at the bus terminus, suburbs, if we can get more donors who can contribute to lighting issues, I think it will help because Binga is a Town which has elephants and dangerous snakes,” Mudenda said.
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“Now there is a development of robbers, so if the streets are dark, we are prone to those dangerous animals, snakes and robbers.”
Binga, in Matabeleland North, is close to areas where human-wildlife conflict involving elephants is a longstanding concern.
BIDRA said the streetlight donation by Binga Kwik Mart, in collaboration with the Binga Town Board, showed how private-sector support could complement efforts by local authorities to improve public services.
The residents’ association said better lighting could improve visibility at night and help create safer public spaces, while reducing opportunities for robbery, vandalism and other criminal activity.
It also said lighting could discourage open defecation and urination in poorly lit areas and make it easier for residents to move around the town after dark.
BIDRA called on other businesses, organisations and development partners operating in Binga to support similar initiatives, saying service delivery could not be left to the local authority alone.
“The transformation of Binga cannot be the responsibility of the Local Authority alone. It requires the collective efforts of the Local Authority, the private sector, and residents themselves,” the association said.
The association said the initiative was in line with the collaborative approach to development outlined in Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2, which emphasises cooperation between government, the private sector and communities.
BIDRA said it hoped the partnership between Binga Kwik Mart and the local authority would continue and lead to further investment in service delivery across Binga Town and the wider district.
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