Council management under fire

sanity to city bus terminuses and markets, blamed the management for failing to seize the opportunity to reclaim the assets.
“We should get in there right away,” he said. Clr Chiroto said arguments that the city did not have enough manpower were misplaced as it allowed touts and marshals to resurface.
Clr Lisbon Marufu said at the height of the touts and marshals menace he was forced to sell his six kombis because he realised proceeds from his business were funding people who had not invested in the business. He said Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda should be empowered to take back all the ranks.
Clr Herbert Gomba said management should have treated the matter as an emergency instead of waiting for one month to report to council.
Clr Peter Moyo accused management of sleeping on duty. He said if Harare was run as a business some managers would have lost their jobs.
In response to the attacks, town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi said he had assembled a team comprising officers from the municipal police, traffic enforcement and urban planning to man the bus ranks. The personnel, he said, were already on the ground. Councillors disputed his report.
Dr Mahachi said council was working with the police for a smooth hand-over of the ranks to council.
“We are going to work with the police for four months. After that we expect there would be sanity,” he said.
He said he was moving some of the municipal police officers from their traditional duty stations to the bus ranks.
Trust Me Security firm is expected to take over guarding of the municipal assets. Dr Mahachi said management has identified up to 60 workers to be moved to the traffic enforcement division. But Clr Wellington Chikombo accused Dr Mahachi of lying.
“On the ground there is absolutely nothing happening,” he said.
He said Dr Mahachi should in future present factual reports that can be supported by activities on the ground. Clr Peter Marange concurred with Clr Chikombo. Clr Victor Chifodya said all the officers deployed at the ranks and markets should be in uniform.
Some municipal officers have been accused of operating like ZRP detectives. Mr Masunda admitted earlier this week that council had failed to take over the ranks.
He accused management of not being results-oriented.