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Residents slam Mudzuri's Dismissal
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
Extracted from The Resident Issue 35
June 07, 2004

Residents of Harare have been cheated. The dismissal of Eng. Elias Mudzuri has reaffirmed residents' fear that they have little or no control over local government concerns.

Minister Chombo prophesied this sad development once, when he stated that he symbolised the full stop when it comes to local government concerns under the Urban Councils Act. The Urban Councils Act [Chapter 29:15] sanctions the Executive Mayor's dismissal on the grounds that the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing has overriding power over the day-to-day operation of council. Residents do not have any say. They have been denied institutional recognition under the Act and council reports to the Minister more than it should the residents who elected them into office. It has and still remains, the association's advocacy issue that local governance be constitutionalised. As long as it remains an Act of Parliament, the current challenges being faced by local authorities will not only remain, but rather be intensified to satisfy political (and otherwise) egos.

This development has destroyed the very fabric of resident participation in local governance by paying a blind eye to their potential. Councillors do not consult residents or give feedback as a matter of principle. And if they do, its only a handful. They do so according to their own volition. Budget making processes can be discussed between the Councillor and the Municipality without residents being involved, and a Minister can sack an Executive Mayor or Councillor without needing to seek residents' input. In essence, the Act robs with the left hand what little liberties residents were accorded with the right. Sarcastically, the only time when meaning residents participation in local governance is sought is only when they spent hours (in some cases, lose their sleep) in an attempt to vote.

Eng. Mudzuri sustained a barrage of attacks from the Ministry and Government right from the start. The regime unceremoniously banned Wednesday Consultative Meetings that he set up to boost interaction between council and Stakeholders. The regime also frustrated development work targeted at the city road and water networks through red tape and party political mind games.

Residents in suburbs like Mufakose are justified when they say they have been insulted by government's latest move. "What government should have done is publish the findings of the Kurasha Commission." stated Mr. B. Sibanda, Chairperson of the Combined Mufakose Residents Association. "Residents must have been able to make their own analysis of the report and give recommendations! We are not happy with the Government's decision. Why did the issue have to go all the way up to the President without first reaching our areas?"

While residents do not condone mismanagement and poor service delivery, they equally do not condone arbitrary decisions made on their behalf. Accountable governance should be done in a transparent manner and all reports of any investigation be made public not to be privatised by the few.

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