The newly-elected councillor for Bulawayo’s Ward 26, Mpumelelo Moyo, says he is all about working with residents to develop the public infrastructure so that he can leave a legacy for the future generation.
Ward 26 covers Emganwini suburb.
Moyo was one of the Citizens for Coalition for Change (CCC) double candidates in Emganwini following the recall of the then Councillor Norman Hlabano.
Mpumelelo Moyo garnered 748 votes against Norman Hlabano who had 261 votes while the ZANU-PF’s Lungisani Sibanda received 418 votes.
In an interview with CITE, during an online show, The Breakfast Club, Tuesday, Moyo said he is looking at using the skill he acquired from his workplace to uplift the face of Emganwini.
Born in Matshetsheni Gwanda, Moyo did his primary education at Mtshingwe Primary in Emakhandeni, after which he proceeded to Luveve High School where he did his form 1 up to Advanced level and briefly taught Mathematics.
For his tertiary education Moyo went to the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree in Insurance and Risk Management.
“I am looking at using the skills that I got from where I work to help us in developing the community, I am not looking at downgrading the ward but I am hoping to raise the ward,” said Moyo.
He said he has been hands-on in issues of the community as he managed to coordinate the youths and assist them to secure national identity documents.
“I am sure they liked that which made the community choose me to represent them,” he said.
Moyo said his campaign journey was not easy as he had to put double efforts compared to the other candidates in other areas.
“When it comes to campaigning I had to put double effort compared to the other candidates in other areas but through hard work, dedication, and God’s grace which was always with us, everything well went even though it was a hard task as I was scared that If I don’t win the ward people will cement that I came to destroy the party, but the results have shown that we are the ones to make the party stronger because when you are coming from the people it means people like you,” he said.
Meanwhile, Moyo said he would direct his energy at improving the infrastructure in the community.
“Emganwini has no public infrastructure compared to other suburbs such as Cowdray Park. The ward has no clinic and the elderly are having challenges going to other clinics such as Nketa and Nkulumane. It pains me to see that scenario so if we come together as the residents and build the clinic it would be better,” he said.
He added: “We don’t have recreational facilities, so there is a big task and I have to work with the residents to build a vocational centre. As a leader, I want a scenario whereby when I leave people will remember me for development. I shouldn’t act as a passer-by in the community because infrastructure can span more than 50 years. As a community leader, I want my child to say “my father working with the residents constructed this clinic.”
Moyo said he was not concerned about positions.
“Within this one year, I want residents to see change, with one or two tangible things then people will decide if they want to give me another mandate or they want to elect someone else. Positions come and go but legacy should speak for itself.”
He said he was yet to sit down with residents for them to guide him.
“As a councillor elect, I haven’t sat down with the residents for them to tell me what they want, the moment I have a legal mandate to mobilise meetings I will hear what the residents want me to say at the local authority. I am expecting residents to be the ones telling me what they want,” said Moyo.
