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MDC-T mayors face mammoth task
Patrice Makova, The Standard (Zimbabwe)
September 01, 2013

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/2013/09/01/mdc-t-mayors-face-mammoth-task/

Tough tests await the new mayors and the MDC-T dominated councils, with analysts warning that the Zanu-PF government will not give them an easy ride.

The MDC-T has appointed a number of officials as designate mayors for several cities and towns it won in the July 31 elections.

These include former Deputy Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs Obert Gutu, who has been earmarked for Harare with National University of Science and Technology (Nust) lecturer, Mandla Nyathi expected to take over the reins in Bulawayo.

Former Zimbabwe Union of Democrats (ZUD) official, Isaac Manyemba will be in charge in Chitungwiza.

The mayors and their deputies are likely to be elected this week, soon after the swearing in of councillors-elect.

But analysts said it will be a mammoth task for the MDC-T dominated urban councils to improve service delivery, as they are unlikely to get the cooperation of the incoming minister of local government.

Most cities and towns in Zimbabwe face a serious water crisis, housing shortages, roads riddled with potholes while uncollected garbage is piling up.

Analysts said although the new Constitution now makes it difficult to expel elected council officials, obstacles would likely be put along the way for the MDC-T dominated local authorities.

Since 2009, outgoing Local Government minister, Ignatious Chombo fired eight mayors and 17 councillors in what was largely described as a strategy to destabilise councils run by the MDC.

Chombo, who is tipped to retain his portfolio, has already declared that he will block attempts by the MDC-T to appoint mayors from outside the elected councillors.

Combined Harare Residents and Ratepayers Association (CHRA) chairperson, Simbarashe Moyo said although he does not doubt the capacity of elected councillors and nominated mayors, they will find it difficult to turn around the fortunes of the cities and towns.

He said councils would only have power if parliament comes up with a clear legislation to replace the Urban Councils Act which is supposed to be scrapped off in accordance with the new Constitution.

But Moyo said Zanu-PF’s two thirds majority in parliament was bad news for people expecting a more democratic act to replace the Urban Councils Act which gives the Local Government minister sweeping powers.

“It is most likely that we will have a replica of the Urban Councils Act because of Zanu-PF’s two thirds majority. Already we have seen Chombo clearly telling the nation that he will bar MDC mayor designates,” he said.

Moyo said councils have a hectic task ahead of them and urged them to do baseline surveys to determine what kind of services they should prioritise.

He said the slashing of bills for water and rates for residents did not address the root cause of the problems facing urban councils.

“It was like the slashing of zeros that Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Gideon Gono did with the Zimbabwe dollar. You are happy for a month, but for years to come you will be suffering,” said Moyo.

Bulawayo Agenda executive director, Thabani Nyoni said if given space, councils were capable of improving service delivery.

But he said it had been clear, even before the July 31 elections, that Zanu-PF would disregard devolved structures after Chombo directed councils to write off debts owed by residents Nyoni said the effect of the directive were already being felt, with Harare and Bulawayo councils failing to pay salaries for their workers.

“Zanu-PF is not going to allow these local authorities to operate efficiently. They will continue to undermine them so that they fail in order to prove that the principle of devolution does not work,” he said.

The Harare and Bulawayo Metropolitan councils brings together MPs, senators, the chairperson deputy chairpersons, mayors and deputy mayors of urban local authorities.

Harare Residents Trust (HRT) executive director, Precious Shumba said the main challenge faced by the Harare mayor was that the person would chair the Harare Metropolitan Council whose operational modalities have not been worked out.

“This will present a lot of political manoeuvring by the chairperson of the Metropolitan Council, balancing the interests of the residents from the local authority of jurisdiction,” said Shumba.

“It will required a high level of diplomacy, mature while skills and the patience to handle divergent political interests, and still get positive outcomes around service delivery.”

He said in Harare only 19 councillors from the last council had been re-elected, while 27 are new.

Shumba said this would present serious challenges in getting things done in the best interests of residents.

He said residents expected to be fully involved in the running of urban local authorities, and would not accept anything short of this demand, which is expressed in the Constitution where the participation of the citizenry has been recognised.

Shumba said the incoming council in Harare should address its billing system, water and sewerage reticulation, particularly upgrading, expansion, and maintenance of existing infrastructure, matching growing urban population.

“They must also deal with the heavily potholed road network, street lighting, and enhance public accountability through production of audited accounts, last done in 2008 during the Zimbabwe dollar era,” he said. “Participation of the citizens must inform and guide all their programming at implementation and policymaking levels without any compromise.”

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