Municipal reporter
…..to address service delivery failure by the MDC-A run council
Harare residents have hailed the appointment of the Local Government Board to run the affairs of the Harare City Council following failure by the MDC Alliance to deliver on its mandate.
This was revealed by the president of the Harare Residents Trust (HRT), Mr Precious Shumba.
Speaking through a press statement, Mr Shumba said, “The Harare Residents Trust welcomes the overdue appointment of the Local Government Board (LGB).The organisation has repeatedly demanded that the LGB be appointed so that urban local authorities could function with efficiency.”
The HRT has blamed inter-party conflicts between the MDC T and the MDC Alliance which they have cited as the major causes for understaffing and lack of service delivery at the Urban Councils.
“The situation has been compounded by the absence of 23 councillors, 21 of whom were recalled by their political party over internal political party conflicts while two others have died,” read the press statement.
The MDC Alliance led councils have been lacking in service delivery and have become synonymous with corruption and abuse of office. The city fathers have also been accused of paying high salaries for the top executives at the expense of service delivery.
The appointment of the LGB will see the finalisation of the cases of suspended office holders within the council, the firing of some bad apples and also appointment of qualified personnel to run the affairs of the council.
The key functions of the LGB are to provide guidance for the general organisation and control of employees in the service of councils. The LGB also ensures the general well-being and good administration of council staff as well as the maintenance thereof in a high state of efficiency and to make model conditions of service for the purposes stated above for adoption by councils.
It is also the responsibility of the board to make regulations stipulating the qualifications and appointment procedures for senior officials of councils and to approve the appointment and discharge of senior officials.
The LGB is also mandated to conduct inquiries into the affairs and procedure of councils.
