BUBANZA February 10th (ABP) – Clandestine meetings, dysfunction in some schools and judicial bodies, land disputes and the lack of drinking water are the major concerns of the inhabitants of Mpanda commune (North-West of Burundi), it was noted on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 during the meeting of the Governor of Bubanza province, Cléophas Nizigiyimana, with the inhabitants of that commune, on their concerns and solutions to be brought to them.
About those clandestine meetings, some of the local administrators of the Gahwazi village say that the promoters of those meetings teach them civil disobedience. Regarding education, participants speak of children being seriously beaten for not paying money on time to Rugenge Basic School, a director of Gatagura Basic School who employs students in his fired brick projects, and parents who regularly pay money for volunteers, but whose students can go a week without studying.
Other grievances of the inhabitants of the Ruziba, Nyomvyi and Gahwazi villages lament that these localities show a lack of drinking water. While those of the Nyamabere, Gahwazi and Musenyi hills indicate that they have bought electricity poles, but that they are waiting a very long time for REGIDESO to install them. As for land disputes, some of the participants spoke of two groups of people who are fighting over land properties in Murengeza village, expropriations and sales without the knowledge of the owners. Participants in this interview also talk about the dysfunction of certain judicial bodies and the non-respect of transport prices and BRARUDI products, we learned on site.
The governor of Bubanza province, Cléophas Nizigiyimana, invites local residents to approach the provincial services concerned, whenever they have concerns. To the heads of provincial services, Governor NIZIGIYIMANA asks them to increase meetings with their leaders in order to discuss their grievances and find solutions early on, but also in order to check whether their staff is fulfilling their role properly.