Speaking at the
recently held Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) public
procurement and governance conference for local authorities in Bulawayo, the
Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Devolution in the Office of
the President, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, said some councillors were going to
spend Christmas behind bars if they fail to answer questions on how they get
the land that they purport to own.
He said
councillors are meant to be the custodians of State resources not the
undertakers of production as is the case in many local authorities across the
country.
Eng Muguti said
there is a need to follow all due procedures when it comes to land allocations.
“We are aware
that you have finished your master plans, but we are noticing a lot of
councillors have become land barons, they are now leading land invasions in
Chitungwiza, City of Harare, and some notable Rural District Councils (RDCs).
Christmas might be very far for you,” said Eng Muguti.
“We are not
going to regularise, just because as councillors, when you invade land, you
then recommend where you invaded to be regularised, we are going to ask tough
questions to your town clerks to justify regularisation.
“Every place
where there is chaos, where you want to regularise, we want to hear a story
behind a story, how did those people get there. I’m sorry, but most of the
people will spend Christmas behind bars if this continues.”
Eng Muguti said
councillors were elected to be responsible, not to come and loot the local
authorities.
“If you thought
being a councillor is your fastest way to stay in low densities and to drive
nice cars and start donating cars, you are lying to yourself. We are going to
continue capacitating you and teaching you governance because that’s what you
need,” he warned.
“You need to be
accountable to your people when you go back and explain to them why roads are
not being fixed on time, or why is it taking so long to procure services at the
local clinics.”
He said the
Office of the President does not care where one reports or to which ministry,
they have oversight and when it comes to the chase, they implement the judgment
themselves.
“Let’s ensure
that, as legislators, you safeguard your policies, you fully appreciate your
by-laws and understand the role that has been given by the Constitution of
Zimbabwe, which means you are the third tier of governance in the country,”
said Eng Muguti.
Illegal
parcelling and unauthorised occupation of land have become rampant countrywide,
with some unscrupulous councillors leading. Sunday News
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