“Son of man, can these bones live? The Barham Green community is determined to revive this kid’s park. The place needs to be cleared and a fence erected. Well-wishers recently drilled a borehole, and in the next year or two, this play space for children will come to life.” — Councillor Nkomo on Facebook.

The vision of restoring Bulawayo to its golden days is alive among the city councillors. The Bulawayo City Council, controlled by the national opposition Citizens Coalition for Change party councillors, is committed to reclaiming the city’s status as Zimbabwe’s cleanest and most well-maintained urban area.

In recent years, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city has seen a decline in its cleanliness and infrastructure standards. However, Councillor Nkomo of Ward 5 in Bulawayo is one of the driving forces behind the vision to reverse this trend.

In May, Councillor Nkomo conducted his traditional tours across Ward 5, one of Bulawayo’s largest wards, encompassing high, middle, and low-density suburbs as well as industrial areas. Accompanied by the council team, Nkomo inspected sewer blockages in Morningside, Barham Green, Newtown West, Montrose, Sidojiwe, and other areas.

“Sewer chokes can generally be attributed to a lack of water due to water shedding, root intrusion, and accumulation of sludge in dilapidated sewer infrastructure. However, I was shocked to discover a human or social element to it. Today, as the team worked to address the sewer chokes, they extracted panties, pieces of cloth, stones, and sanitary pads,” said Councillor Nkomo.

He further advised community members to collaborate with the council to maintain a clean environment. “Let us provide to our community the change we want to see in actions. Let us apply reasoning in everything we do. A lot of destruction has happened out of ignorance,” he urged.

In the same month, Councillor Nkomo conducted a road assessment tour in the ward. The purpose was to identify key roads needing various service interventions. According to Nkomo, many roads in Bellevue, Barham Green, Montrose, Southworld, Greenhill, and Newton West have not been repaired for more than 15 years and have outlived their lifespan. He vowed to ensure road maintenance and repairs are conducted.

Hon. Nkomo is prominently known for advocating for road maintenance, particularly on the main road connecting the city to Plumtree and Botswana, which has been completely repaired.

Through these initiatives, Councillor Nkomo and the Bulawayo City Council are working towards a cleaner, more efficient city, echoing the aspirations of its residents and ensuring a better future for all.