Prof Ncube has spent the last few months getting closer to
residents in Cowdray Park, interacting with them as he seeks to address some of
their needs. Some residents in the suburb have been pleasantly surprised
recently as Prof Ncube has joined in community activities, contributing the
traditional “Zibuthe” fees during times of bereavement. Speaking in an
interview recently, Prof Ncube said he had decided to purchase a home in
Cowdray Park as he wanted to be in sync with the people that he seeks to
represent.
“We have big plans for Cowdray Park and in fact, I myself
have now got a house here so I am now a full citizen and resident of Cowdray
Park. So, the people’s problems here are fully and truly my problems as well,”
he said.
Prof Ncube said to empower local entrepreneurs, he had
asked some of them to furnish his new home.
“I was talking to the boys that make furniture in the neighbourhood
and they said they will be doing that for me so that I can also furnish my home
and have it looking nice. It would be nice when the next time we meet, we can
do so in my own home so that we can have tea and we can speak frankly about how
we can improve and build our Cowdray Park. I would love to be invited into your
own homes as well because I am now very much a part of the community. I want us
to chart a way together,” he said.
Reminiscing about his own childhood in the neighbouring
suburb of Luveve, Prof Ncube said the circumstances that he grew up under had
inspired him to run for parliament.
“I lived in Luveve in the 1970s so I know the area, the
neighbourhood very well. If you look at it, Cowdray Park and Luveve were always
really considered as one constituency. Back then, the youth did not have
opportunities such as the ones that we are now extending to the youth, in terms
of skills development, whether it’s through the Red Cross programme, the
driver’s licence programme or the beauty and therapy programme. That didn’t
exist back then so these courses will go a long way in supporting the youth and
I think that is what has been missing,” he said.
Prof Ncube said he wanted to bring the kind of
representation that he felt the area lacked when he was growing up.
“Back then, we didn’t have very active members of
Parliament, who could spearhead the development of roads, water while showing
concern for the citizen and that is what I am bringing here in Cowdray Park. I
want to show that I am with the people and I support them because I am doing
this from the heart. We can only build Zimbabwe if everyone is focused and
works together and urge every Member of Parliament, wherever they are in
whatever corner of the country, to take their jobs seriously and put shoulder
to the wheel,” he said.
Turning to the issue of drug abuse in the community, Prof Ncube
said he wanted to spearhead the construction of drug rehabilitation centres in
Cowdray Park, which would deal with the issue in a scientific way.
“We have the current challenge of drugs and crime and by
giving them skills, the youth will find themselves doing productive things and
moving their lives forward instead of being stuck in the mud. This is designed
to improve the lives of individuals so they stay away from illicit activities.
There is still a need to develop some drug rehabilitation centres here in
Cowdray Park and I will be looking to see what can be done by working with
relevant Government departments to see how this problem can be dealt with in a
kind of medical way, besides giving individuals necessary skills to make
themselves better,” he said. Sunday News
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