By Christopher Makaza

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has commended the on-going Rural District Councils (RDCs) Chairpersons indaba at Kingdom Hotel in Victoria Falls saying such platforms will assist in improving service delivery by the local authorities.

Addressing delegates today at the event, the President noted that it was also important for the RDCs to engage urban municipalities in meetings of that nature for the benefit of rate payers.

“It`s equally important for you (RDCs) to network and share best practices even with your counterparts from municipalities. Better service delivery will be enhanced by such robust engagement,” he said.

President Mnangagwa urged the leaders to perform in terms of infrastructure development as RDCs have so much to levy of which they are not doing.

“You are the leaders who will make the vision 2030 succeed or fail. If you don't perform in your respective areas in terms of infrastructural development, we will fail. Most RDCs have so much to levy which they are not doing. In most cases, they look for funding from Central Government of which in fact it should be looking up to them,” he said.

The President also said it was necessary to involve councillors in such meetings as they (councillors) are drivers of development in their respective wards. The President praised RDC president, Mr David Mutasa for being innovative.

Whilst most MDC led urban municipalities are at loggerheads with rate payers over their failure to provide basic services like refuse collection, roads rehabilitation, provision of clean and safe water and repairing burst sewage and water pipes among other services, Rural District Councils under the leadership of ZANU PF seem to be doing justice to that effect.

Most Rural District Councils have also been successfully utilising funds they were allocated by Zimbabwe National Roads Association (ZINARA) compared to MDC`s urban municipalities.