By Rudo Saungweme
The MDC Bulawayo Provincial leadership threatened Bulawayo City Councillors for endorsing a 300 percent increase on levies and tariffs with effect from 1 October stating that the increases will render the party unpopular with the electorate.
Councillors were also lambasted for ratifying 416 percent proposed increase for the 2020 budget during a recent Provincial caucus meeting. The Provincial Deputy Organising Secretary, Collet Ndlovu said the councillors should have consulted with the party before passing the budget.
“Our Councillors must know that they are serving in council at the pleasure of the party, therefore, they must be in the habit of consulting the party on crucial issues like this one,” said Ndlovu.
He added that the residence were already struggling and “increasing tariffs at that astronomic level will worsen their situation. The unfortunate consequence of this action is that the party will be blamed. Bulawayo is our stronghold and we cannot afford to lose popularity because of some stupid decisions.”
Ndlovu said the party had to embark on a damage control exercise as residence in 22 out of the 25 wards had rejected the budget.
The Provincial Secretary for Information and Publicity, Swithurn Chiroodza accused the Councillors of being captured by Council management.
“We know that some of our Councillors are being greased by Council management to approve policies that are detrimental to the party,” said Chiroodza.
Chiroodza went on to label the Bulawayo City Councillors as puppets of MDC Vice President, Professor Welshman Ncube. The Provincial committee resolved to direct Bulawayo Mayor, Solomon Mguni to present a report to the party detailing circumstances surrounding the ratification of the budget and tariff increase.
The MDC has been castigated by citizens for double standards. The MDC party is on record accusing Zanu PF government for interfering with local authorities’ policies. The MDC bitterly complained when Government directed the local authorities to write off residents’ debts in 2012 saying it was a campaign gimmick.
