2013: A mixed bag for councils

Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
Local authorities made little progress in 2013 as they battled with the same old problems of water supply, housing provision and poor roads while in some councils, business came to a standstill because of squabbles related to politics.
Stories of councils failing to provide for the residents made front page news throughout the year, with residents constantly complaining of poor service delivery.

In fact, the year was almost a repeat of the previous ones, with councillors accused of neglecting residents and concentrating on fattening their pockets.

Allegations of corruption haunted several councils as deals that were supposed to benefit residents ended up being abused by some in management and councillors.

But the year was dominated by the harmonised elections on July 31 which ushered in new councils in various parts of the country.
What followed the elections made interesting news as MDC-T councillors connived in some councils to vote for Zanu-PF councillors as mayors.

In some councils, MDC-T councillors disregarded their party’s choices for the mayoral post and voted for other councillors from the party.
Following the elections, Zanu-PF now controls more local authorities, except Harare, Chitungwiza and Bulawayo.

In Kwekwe, where Zanu-PF and MDC-T have seven seats each, Zanu-PF councillor Cde Matenda Madzoke was elected mayor.
Zanu-PF repeated the same feat in Redcliff where Freddy Kapuya, a renowned businessman, won in a town where his party has two wards compared to MDC-T’s nine.

In Victoria Falls, Cde Sifiso Mpofu won the mayoral post despite the fact that Zanu-PF has three wards and MDC-T seven.
In Mutare, MDC-T councillors voted for Mr Tatenda Nhamharare instead of the party’s preferred candidate Mr Thomas Nyamupanedengu, while in Gweru they voted for Mr Hamutendi Kombayi, instead of Mr Charles Chikozho who had been proposed by the party.

What followed was a witch-hunt launched by the party which has resulted in lack of service delivery as the squabbles affect the smooth running of the councils.

Debate over the criteria for the appointment of mayors also took centre stage, with the MDC-T nominating lawyer Mr Obert Gutu to be at the helm of Harare.

Minister Chombo then clariffied that only councillors should be in the run for the post, resulting in the party nominating Ward 9 councillor Mr Bernard Manyenyenye.

He was eventually installed as mayor at the City Sports Centre this month.
Apart from the political games, the other major highlight was the June 30 order by the then Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo for councils to write off debts accrued by residents through rates and other bills.

Other cities like Harare signed mega deals that are expected to make residents’ lives better.
The city has started upgrading its water system under the US$144 million China Import and Export Bank loan obtained this year.
India also extended a US$75 million, half loan and half grant, to replace water mains and minimise leaks which account for up to 60 percent of treated water.

Corruption continued to trouble most councils throughout 2013, with Harare firing seven employees for manipulating the city’s billing system to swindle unsuspecting ratepayers of thousands of dollars.

In Chitungwiza, Government ended up setting up a team to do a forensic audit which showed that more than 14 000 residential stands allocated to home seekers in the town and the adjacent Manyame Rural District Council are illegal. Some of the stands were created on spaces reserved for clinics, churches, schools, cemeteries, recreational activities and roads, while others were created under high voltage electricity pylon.

The audit team recommended the arrest and prosecution of land barons who are running housing co-operatives, councillors and village heads after it emerged that they looted and illegally sold the stands, pocketing more than US$20 million

For Harare, the year ended with the city securing a deal in which it will partner a South African company in a US$400 million deal to rehabilitate and maintain roads in the capital.

Dr Mahachi is expected to have signed an agreement by tomorrow.