AUDREY MASHINGAIDZE
MIRROR REPORTER

MASVINGO – The Zimbabwe Union of Residents and Ratepayers Associations (ZURRA) has dismissed claims by an organization called Zimbabwe National Organisation of Residents’ Trusts (ZNOART) that the latter represent all residents’ associations throughout the country.
Zurra spokesperson Marvellous Kumalo accused ZNOART of trying to impose itself on affiliates and warned residents association to be wary of the machinations.
Khumalo told The Mirror in an interview that ZNOART recently issued a statement in which it claimed that residents’ associations throughout the country were affiliated to it. He dismissed the statement as wrong and said this needed clarification.
He said such statements are misleading and they affect residents and warned organisations to be mindful of forced affiliation
“We rebuff any self-imposition on our affiliates as this violates freedom of association and we categorically state that ZNOART does not represent the interests of our members across the country.”
“We also warn resident groupings and community-based organizations to be mindful of this command and forced affiliation which is a deliberate ploy to misrepresent the interest of genuine residents’ associations and residents and to shrink civic space and pursue partisan political agendas,” he said
Effort to get a comment from ZNOART were futile.
ZURRA draws the attention of the nation to critical issues like abuse of local authorities’ funds for non-service delivery-related activities, persistent lack of adherence to proper governance systems by most local authorities and parastatals and continued deterioration of service delivery quality, exacerbating the struggles of the residents among others.
ZURRA urges the relevant authorities to address these pressing concerns and ensure that residents’ needs are prioritized.
Organizations that include Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA),Chitungwiza Residents Trust (CHITREST),Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA,) Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA), Harare Residents Trust ( HRT) and Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance ( MURRA ) among others reiterate that their sole representative is ZURRA .