by Christopher Makaza

Harare residents have dismissed as false, claims by MDC-Alliance deputy spokesperson Clifford Hlatywayo that ZANU-PF and the Government are to blame for poor service delivery in urban areas.

Posting on his twitter handle today, Hlatywayo wrote, "ZANU-PF is pushing harder to make Councils fail. Severe central Government interference, revenue streams strangulation and other machinations are at the centre of current service delivery challenges."

Speaking to Harare Post over the allegations, Kuwadzana resident Mr Tendai Musademba dismissed Hlatywayo's allegations, saying the urban councils especially Harare City Council were responsible for poor service delivery as they were misusing rate payers' money.

"These urban local authorities should accept that they have failed on service deliveries like water reticulation, rubbish collection and roads rehabilitation. We are exposed to deadly water borne diseases but the authorities seem not to care. Water roads are no longer passable as you can see. They have no one to blame except for themselves,” said Mr Musademba.

He blamed the opposition councillors for spending most of their energy on party politics at the expense of service delivery.

Mrs Rutendo Mazai from Glenview said councillors were focusing more illegal land deals, ignoring their mandate of service delivery.

Several unsuspecting home seekers have fallen victims to MDC-Alliance land barons who are connected to the opposition party's councillors.

State of the art houses were recently demolished in Chitungwiza, Ruwa and surrounding areas after they were built on undesignated areas.

The land barons allegedly connive with Council officials including the councillors and fraudulently generate site plans and offer letters that are being backdated to last year and beyond.

Several MDC-Alliance councillors including former mayor Herbert Gomba have been arrested on corruption allegations involving illegal selling of stands.