by Claver Nyuki
The recent cholera epidemic which has bedevilled the country and left about 49 people dead and hundreds affected has divided the public on who actually is to blame for the pandemic, which in all honesty should not be part of the 21st century, considering the modern technology and medical advancement.
For all its popularity in urban areas, the MDC Alliance has been found wanting in ensuring adequate service delivery to the people who have continuously kept faith in them despite failing dismally for the past twenty years.
Cholera is a bacterial disease which is mainly caused by unhygienic practises that include poor sanitation, not enough clean drinking water and unsafe food that has been contaminated with human faeces,
A look around Harare clearly shows that some people have been sleeping on the job as this scourge could easily have been averted.
The MDC-T Deputy President, Obert Gutu, made some startling revelations on his Twitter handle that there are some areas that have been without running water for the past 10 years, exposing the residents to bacterial diseases.
“Ballantyne Park, Rolfe Valley, Colne Valley, Reifontein and Highlands last had municipal water in February 2008. Please do something about this extremely urgent matter,” he said.
The issue of the running water is just the tip of the iceberg; a video by the satirical media house, Bus Stop TV, showing the dire living conditions of residents at Matapi flats in Mbare is tear-jerking to say the least.
The video clip exposes all the Alliance led councils shortcomings, not limited to Harare, there is little to no refuse collection, unattended burst sewer pipes, no clean running water and poor sanitation, despite demanding rates from the short changed residents and to make matters worse, they insist on awarding themselves hefty salaries and allowances at the expense of the tax payers.
The MDC Alliance lacks decisive leadership; it seems they are still in election mode when elected members are supposed to be seized with delivering the electoral mandate.
The Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa yesterday led a group of people to undertake a clean-up campaign in Glen View, too little too late if you ask me.
The residents of Harare and other urban areas in the country do not need clean up campaigns because there is a cholera outbreak, residents need the urban councils which are pre-emptive and carry out their mandates so that such outbreaks are averted.
The clean-up campaign was just a political stunt to save face by Chamisa and his team. They desperately want to stay relevant till the next election, but if the status quo prevails in urban councils then the MDC party will finally meet its waterloo.
The urban councils should get their act together and deliver the service the residents require because as it stands, the MDC Alliance is fast running out of ideas and come 2023, chances are ZANU PF will take over the urban councils as the electorate would have lost all confidence in the MDC Alliance.
