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Chombo
advancing own interests, not residents'
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA)
March 24, 2009
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA) expresses its dismay at the Minister
of Local Government's cheap politics at the City of Harare.
Minister Chombo has technically blocked the suspension of the Town
clerk by the city councilors. The Harare city councilors passed a
resolution to suspend the Town Clerk after he was implicated in a
scandal that saw the City council loosing over 100 beasts. The councilors
have so far managed to recover 50 beasts which were hidden in a popular
Harare businessman's farm. The City Council Audit committee
(comprised of selected councilors) is currently investigating this
matter. CHRA, Transparency
International Zimbabwe (TIZ) and other Residents Associations
have also called for an audit of council assets and revenue generation
projects. The city of Harare owns a farm and cattle; a project which
is supposed to relieve the residents of the burden of financing service
delivery through exorbitant rates. However, the council has lost quite
a lot of revenue through such corruption at town house by the council
workers and previous commissions.
The Harare city council has been rocked by massive
corruption since the reign of commissions appointed by Minister
Chombo, and popular names are being implicated in some of the scandals
being unearthed. However, the move by Minister Chombo to block the
suspension of the Town clerk is obviously going to hamper investigations
into these scandals. CHRA notices that Minister Chombo has on one
hand protected the allegedly corrupt Town clerk; and on one hand
reversed the councilors' decision to award themselves free
cell phones and residential stands. By so doing, Minister Chombo
appears to be protecting the residents when in fact he is protecting
certain individuals who may have benefited from corruption at Town
House. CHRA categorically puts it on record that the residents do
not approve the councilors' proposal to get free residential
stands and cell phones, but they also demand that Minister Chombo
should not get into the way of investigations taking place at Town
House by blocking the suspension of the town clerk. In that regard
CHRA demands the following;
- A full
audit of Council assets and revenue generation projects
- Public
disclosure of financial statements reflecting the performance
of council revenue generation projects for the past 5 years.
- Full
swing investigations into the corrupt activities at Town House.
- In
tandem with the letter and spirit of the Global
Political Agreement, whoever shall be found responsible or
involved in the corruption shall be brought to account irregardless
of his or her political standing.
- Massive
reduction of rates, levies and tariffs against the residents.
- Council
must get rid of extravagant benefits for councilors and council
workers.
- Minister
Chombo must respect the councilors' decision to suspend
the Town clerk until investigations are completed.
Meanwhile the Combined Harare Residents Association
(CHRA) urges the city council workers to desist from taking advantage
of the lack of experience on the part of the councilors; to smuggle
into the budget extravagant benefits like hefty salaries and allowances.
CHRA notices that this was a deliberate attempt to expose the elected
councilors as anti-people and selfish yet the real enemies of the
residents are the council workers and their Minister. Nonetheless
CHRA urges the councilors to be vigilant and guard against being
taken advantage of. CHRA remains steadfast in demanding democratic
local governance and the provision of quality as well as affordable
municipal services.
Visit
the CHRA fact
sheet
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