Most urban councils are controlled by the Nelson
Chamisa-led MDC Alliance. Mnangagwa described the opposition councillors as
failures, and said Chiwenga’s team would ensure seamless provision of services
to the people.
“They (MDC councillors) have the duty to provide services
to the people, but because we have seen that they have failed, this is why
under the second republic we have now instituted an inter-ministerial taskforce
headed by the Vice-President to deal… overriding the authority of these
councils so that we can provide our people with the services which these
authorities have failed to provide,” he said.
He bemoaned what he termed rampant corruption in local
authorities. “For instance, Harare City Council — I think one-third of the
councillors and the people there are under investigation (for corruption). Some
have been brought to court and the process is ongoing.
“I think you realise that the municipalities have a role,
they are set up to deal with service delivery for the community which they lead
— it can be rural district councils or urban councils, like the Harare council.
“So, as the central government we are intervening, using
central government resources to do so. This is how you realise, the question of
housing, the question of correcting wetlands, the question of clean water.
“I think you have seen on television now where new
equipment is being installed; that equipment is not being bought by municipal
councils, no. It is the central government that is intervening using our
resources at central government level to make sure there are services,”
Mnangagwa said.
He said government would soon commission two dams to
provide water to Harare. But MDC Alliance secretary for local government Sesel
Zvidzai said central government should stop meddling in the affairs of local
authorities.
“What does bringing in an inter-ministerial taskforce mean?
Does it confirm that their Minister of Local Government (July Moyo) has failed?
“That is just a lot of heat, no light. Councils need a
functioning economy and the central government must stop interfering with
employment processes of officials so that councils can employ on merit.”
Zvidzai said government should pay up the debts it owes to
local authorities and ensure they have access to foreign currency to solve the
problems they are experiencing.
“Most of the problems were caused by the Zanu PF regime and
there is no local authority that can function in an economy that is not
functioning. As long as they do not rejig the economy, Chiwenga and his team
are bound to fail,” Zvidzai said. Newsday
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