Byo mayor heaps praise on Second Republic

Vusumuzi Dube

Zimpapers Elections Desk

OUTGOING Bulawayo mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni has warned opposition-led local authorities against blindly pursuing petty party politics and opposing Government for the sake of it, reminding them that they are quasi-Government institutions.

In an interview with the Zimpapers Elections Desk, Cllr Mguni said his administration worked well with the Government in uplifting the lives of Bulawayo residents.

The Government, he said, has instituted development programmes such as construction of Lake Gwayi-Shangani, which is expected to comprehensively address water challenges in the city.

Cllr Mguni underscored President Mnangagwa’s commitment to working with local authorities to find sustainable solutions to challenges faced by residents.

“What is very important and key, which some people lose sight of, is that being in local government, you are part of Government,” he said.

“Local authorities are quasi-Government institutions; they are agents of Government.

“There is no Government for Bulawayo, Harare or Gweru; we all serve under one Government, and it is very important to follow Government policies and directives.

Cllr Mguni praised President Mnangagwa for his open-door policy, noting that it showed his commitment to resolving the problems faced by the city.

“Remember, we had to apply for Bulawayo to be declared a critical water shortage area, which application was turned down after assessment of requirements for such a declaration.

“However, the Government stepped in to assist, which saw a lot of projects being undertaken in the city.

“We saw the resuscitation of boreholes in Nyamandlovu, then saw the speedy implementation of the Gwayi-Shangani water project, which, before that request for the declaration, was moving at a slow pace.

“Now, we can safely say that in the next season, water can reach Bulawayo considering what is happening on the pipeline and on the dam itself,” said the mayor.

The mayor also revealed that, apart from the Lake Gwayi-Shangani and pipeline project, Government had already committed to funding a number of smaller projects that will assist the city in the short term.

Questioned on his next move after his term expires in a few weeks, Cllr Mguni said: “I am going back to my legal practice full-time, but I can always serve my country in whatever capacity that will make itself available. I am still a member of my party, in good standing and I await further deployments as they come.”