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Residents suspicious of Minister Chombo's sincerity
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
J anuary 27, 2010

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) and the residents of Harare are suspicious of Minister Chombo's sincerity in his insistence on firing Councils that are being accused of engaging in corrupt activities. Residents have argued that the Minister seems to be targeting Councilors only and yet there are also Senior Council employees who have a track record of corruption but the Minister has tirelessly protected them and has even interfered with investigations into such cases.

It defies logic to note that the Honorable Minister is actually worried about corruption after he has thwarted the many attempts by the Harare City Councillors to unearth acts of corruption that were committed by the appointed personnel at Town House. Residents have not forgotten how the Minister rescinded the decision by the Harare City Councillors to halt the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Express Road so that investigations could be carried out into the controversial awarding of tenders that was done on the project. The Minister also vehemently resisted the Harare Council's decision to temporarily close the Mbare Musika, Mukuvisi Business Units and Machipisa market stalls so as to ensure that the stalls are re-allocated to people with genuine needs as it had emerged that the stalls are owned by a few political bigwigs who sublet to desperate residents. It is against this background that residents have voiced their suspicions at the Minister's sincerity.

CHRA sought the views of some residents from Mabvuku and Kuwadzana and one resident (who requested anonymity) revealed her fears at what she called 'the minister's persistence to defy the tenets of democracy' by firing democratically elected Councils and replacing them with commissions. Residents are clearly not amused by the Minister's threats and they are not convinced that the only reason why he mulls the idea of firing the Councils is solely on the grounds of corruption but also on political grounds. The history of Harare and the successive commissions that were appointed by the Minister following the dismissal of the Mudzuri-led Council is still alive in the memories of residents. It is not a secret that the sorry state of the service delivery system in Harare and other cities like Mutare is a direct product of the incompetence of the Commissions that the Minister appointed. Up to this day, the present Harare City Council is still struggling to resuscitate the service delivery system that had virtually collapsed due to maladministration and mismanagement of the ratepayers' money.

The Chairperson for Chitungwiza Residents and Ratepayers' Association (CHIRRA), Mr. Arthur Taderera also raised the same concerns saying that a commission appointed by the Minister would never be acceptable in Chitungwiza due to the poor performance of all the other previous commissions. He said that although residents are cognizant of the fact that corruption should not be condoned, residents should be consulted on the issue as they are well capable of deciding who should and should not go since they were also responsible for voting the Councillors into office. Mr. Taderera pointed out that not all Councillors are corrupt and the idea of firing a whole Council is not fair. Mr. Mojapelo from the Greater Kadoma Residents Association echoed the same sentiments saying that residents should also have a say in that issue. He pointed out that senior Council employees are the major culprits in engaging in corrupt activities and the Minister should not focus his attention on Councilors only. The investigations should also be inclusive of Senior Management staff like the Town Clerks and city directors.

CHRA believes that the key to a democratic local government system is the maximum participation of residents in key decision making processes. The Association remains committed to fighting for the residents cause and advocating for democratic, transparent and accountable local governance as well as lobbying for quality municipal services on a non-partisan basis.

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