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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Talks, dialogue, negotiations and GNU - Post June 2008 "elections" - Index of articles
Residents
suffer as stalemate rages on
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA)
October 06, 2008
The Combined Harare Residents
Association is deeply concerned by the delay in the finalization
of the appointment of the Cabinet. The economic crisis continues
and this has negatively affected the livelihood of the ordinary
citizens and the continued political stalemate is not helping matters.
The current
political and socio-economic problems require concrete and urgent
policy reform, something that cannot be achieved without a government
that is able to make decisions for economic, political and social
change. Zimbabwe has operated without a government since the March
29 elections and this situation has seen most economic players doing
business on impulsive speculations. The economy has been left to
take its own course, which unfortunately for the ordinary Zimbabwean
citizens, has been going downhill without restraint. The signing
of the power-sharing deal
between MDC and ZANU PF on the 15th of September 2008 was welcomed
with cautious optimism by the Zimbabwean populace but it seems the
ray of hope that had been created by the 'historic'
development is slowly fading with ZANU PF's alleged reluctance
to share power.
The Zimbabwean dollar
has been losing value at an alarming rate and the daily price hikes
of basic and non-basic commodities have created an environment that
can never be further from that of economic madness. The Reserve
Bank Governor, Dr. Gideon Gono is desperately trying to grapple
with the collapsing economy as the zeros are fast catching up with
him.
The political and economic
impasse has worsened things in the local governance arena as local
authorities are increasingly finding it difficult to keep abreast
with the spiraling inflation that has almost brought municipal operations
to a standstill. CHRA believes that the local governance system
can only be resuscitated when the national governance crisis has
been resolved. CHRA calls upon politicians to put the nation before
self interest. If things are to change, the transitional government
must be found on a balanced power sharing between the parties.
Residents of
Harare are concerned as they are being adversely affected by the
current policies that resulted in Central Government's excessive
interference in local governance. The water woes that have seen
many Harare residents losing their lives to cholera outbreaks are
a result of the ruthless decision to hand over the administration
of sewer and water services to ZINWA. The appointment and re-appointment
of incompetent commissions and the notorious Operation
Murambatsvina exercise are dreaded memories that have influenced
residents to crave for the betterment of their situation. CHRA urges
the powers that be to stop burying their heads in the sand and attend
to the governance stalemate as a matter of urgency.
Visit the CHRA
fact
sheet
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