By Derick Tsimba
The MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa continue to bury his head in the sand to the deep-rooted corruption in the MDC-A-led councils, resultantly failing to address the situation which continues to undermine service delivery in urban local authorities.
Failure to deliver by MDC councillors is an indictment on Chamisa’s leadership, which many are questioning, as on top of destroying the party, he is clueless on who to deal with inept councillors who have destroyed cities and towns across the country.
Under the control of MDC-A, service delivery in urban town councils has reached rock bottom as self-serving MDC-A councillors are more concerned with looting at the expense of executing their mandate. It has become evident that Chamisa has his hand in the rot in cahoots with his councillors. The MDC-A leader has also been sucked in residential stand allocation scandals in Harare where targeted land deals are aimed at funding his bankrupt party, as alleged by reports making rounds.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has a torrid task of following up with activities at all MDC-A led councils across the country to ensure it curbs corruption as the vice is so rampant. Currently several councillors are facing corruption charges in courts further compromising service delivery as Harare and other towns continue to labour under bad roads, spilling sewers, uncollected garbage and untreated drinking water.
The Mayor of Harare, Jacob Mafume was arrested late last year due to corruption allegations and appeared before the High Court of Zimbabwe. It is sad if not hilarious as he was replacing the former Mayor, Herbert Gomba who had been arrested on corruption allegations.
All these cases confirm that the main opposition party in Zimbabwe which claims to be democratic has become a hoard of looters, who have nothing to show for in the past two decades that they have presided over local authorities, but atrocious service delivery.
MDC-A has failed dismally. Apparently there are now engaging in “kudira jecha” in their own operations at local authorities, which border on national sabotage through looting money when, it should be used for national development.
Chamisa has become the leader of the most devastating party ever to be formed in Zimbabwe which concentrates on financial gain. Currently, the leader has not been seen in public to address these corruption scandals rampant in the urban town councils, but expends his energy on blaming Government for the mess his councillors have superintended over.
The environmental situation in Harare continues to deteriorate prompting Environment Management Agency (EMA) to recently issue an ultimatum to the sleeping councillors at Town House to clear dumpsites. The HCC has been reluctant to collect garbage forcing EMA to serve it with an Environmental Protection Order over the matter.
Some of the areas which have been adversely affected by the uncollected garbage which have become an eye sore include Mbare Musika Terminus as well as other illegal dump sites doted around the city, which speaks to the reasons why Harare lost its Sunshine City status.
Government should deal with maladministration by MDC-A councillors as a matter of urgency. These councillors should not be left in charge of the council affairs, one more day longer, as they have shown they are incapable of running the affairs of the city especially Harare. It would be wise for a commission to be set up to manage the affairs of Harare, which is the worst affected by the presence of incompetent councillors.
