WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — Gisenyi Sector coordinator Emanuel Manzimpaka has called upon residents to stand up against crimes in Gisenyi through night patrol.

Addressing residents recently Mazimpaka said night patrols done by residents in shifts have proved as one of the major ways of combating crimes committed at night. He observed that cases of burglary have reduced due to night patrols.

"I would like to thank residents who physically participate in night patrols as well as those that give their contribution in form of money. The Sector set up a monthly contribution of Frw500 per households which is used to motivate those who carry out the patrols," he said.

He further thanked residents for actively contribution through community work–Umuganda– to do various activities such as general cleaning of Gisenyi town and the construction of houses for the disabled and Genocide survivors in the sector.

Mazimpaka called on Cell leaders to always mobilise residents for Umuganda a factor he said will help Gisenyi sector meet this year’s performance contracts signed with the district.

He noted that poor turn-up of residents during the monthly community work was due to poor mobilisation by local leaders.

He said 15 houses for disabled residents were about to be completed through community efforts. He further noted that Umuganda had improved sanitation in Gisenyi town; unlike in the past when there was a lot of litter in the town.

Apart from the monthly community work, Gisenyi sector introduced its own weekly Umuganda done on Saturday of every second week of the month to tackle various challenges, Mazimpaka said.

Although Sector authorities find Umuganda an answer to their performance contracts signed with the district, some of the residents who talked to The New Times see it differently.

Traders who asked not to be named complain that non-working days have become too many and affecting their businesses.

"I’m personally not against Umuganda. We all know the monthly community work. We also have weekly Gacaca every Thursday of the week though it is winding up. The introduction of another day for Umuganda is reducing our working days although it is ideal in fulfilling the sector’s performance contracts," one said.

He added: It is reducing our monthly profits thus affecting our business. It has also scared our business partners from the neighboring Goma."

They suggested that the sector should make their community work optional and stick to the national monthly community work and leave Gacaca for a single day specified by the national jurisdiction of Gacaca courts.

The traders argue that those who are able to contribute financially should be exempted from their biweekly community work the way it is done for night patrols.

Ends