Staff Reporter

The Harare Residents Trust (HRT), has advised its residents to stop being gullible and choose their desired Councillors according to their capabilities, come 2023 harmonised elections.

Speaking through a press statement, the Chairman of the HRT, Precious Shumba warned the residents not to vote for a political party’s name, but to ensure that whoever they vote for resides in the same area as they do and is in touch with the needs of the people.

“A Councillor should not be a visitor to the electorate in their respective ward.  He should be able to ensure the provision of adequate potable water, consistent refuse collection and monitor the sewage bursts in the ward area,” said Shumba.

Shumba added that, “The Councillor should fulfil the promises they made during their campaigning before being elected into office.  It is unhelpful for a councillor to be known by people, but without doing much to address service delivery concerns of the electorate.”

When it comes to broken down and neglected infrastructure, Shumba laid the responsibility of such squarely on the shoulders of the residents, and advised them to demand progress updates on same, including expenditure of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

“A Councillor should be in a position to articulate the issues affecting the diversity of people in his ward, tower lights in the community must be functional and streets and roads must be maintained to ensure minimal potholes.  He or she should push for infrastructural developments in the ward, especially when the CDF is released,” Shumba said.

Meanwhile, the urban councils that have been an MDC Alliance stronghold for the past 21 years have failed dismally on service delivery and infrastructural development, due to corruption and abuse of office. This has led to the Central Government to take over the rehabilitation of urban roads through the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Program (ERRP).