via Driving schools take over “Mugabe Square” 05 January 2015
BARELY a month after ZANU PF staged its congress at an open space popularly known as the Civic Grounds between Rainbow Towers and Rotten Row courts, the venue that was surfaced, has come in handy for city driving schools that have turned it into a training ground.
The open space, which was practically turned into a makeshift town for one week and renamed ‘Robert Mugabe Square’, saw new roads and streets being paved, tarred and named after the First Family among other titles. Street names included Dr Grace Mugabe Way, Robert Mugabe Way, Congress Road, Gutsaruzhinji Walk and ZimAsset Walk.
This is the same 18 hectare space where the opposition MDC-T held its last “cross over rally” attended by thousands of its supporters and then christened it Freedom Square ahead of the 2013 harmonised elections.
When the congress ended the white marquees and the mobile phone booster that was erected by a local company were all promptly removed. Also removed were the tents, portable toilets, presidential offices, media centre and a makeshift administration block.
Only the tarred roads naturally remained behind attracting the attention of innovative driving school operators who have since flooded the space. Daily they conduct lessons on the neat roads without obstruction.
“We never thought that things will become so easy for us; we were crowded where we were operating from but thank you to the congress we are home and dry,” said an instructor with a local driving school.
“We just pray that some people who have ZANU PF links will not come and remove us from this place.”
“The roads are so well paved in such a way that it’s a good exposure to leaners,” said another instructor.
Soon after the congress Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni ordered the ruling party to remove the sign posts which he described as “illegal” as they had been erected without council approval.
“It’s unofficial and we expect whoever is involved to send a message of compliance by removing them. We treated them as temporary and not permanent renaming of any part of the city without council approval.”
It’s like balloons at a wedding and they should be removed immediately after the event,” Manyenyeni was quoted as saying by a local daily.
It could not be established who eventually removed the road sign posts at the square except the one written Robert Mugabe Square and notably street lights poles.
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