Councils accuse Govt of meddling

Association of Zimbabwe said yesterday.
The association dismissed as impractical calls by central Government for councils to allocate 30 percent of their revenue to salaries and 70 percent to service delivery, adding the concept was Euro-centric and applied to countries that were heavily mechanised.

UCAZ president who is also Masvingo mayor Alderman Femias Chakabuda, yesterday told journalists in Harare that it was improper for Government that was not contributing to funding urban local authorities to interfere with their operations.
The press briefing was aimed at updating the media on service delivery.

Ald Chakabuda proposed a number of measures that if implemented by Government would help service delivery. These include the scrapping of duty on water treatment chemicals, capital equipment and goods, the reinstatement of the mandate to collect vehicle licensing fees that allowed councils to retain 10 percent of the revenue and the de-centralisation of the commuter omnibus permits and liquor licences.

He said Government, as the biggest debtor, should offset its debts with statutory payments owed by councils.
Masvingo is owed US$2,8 million, Bulawayo US$7 million and Kadoma US$3,3 million.

He said councils had taken over Government duties in the provision of health, education, fire fighting and social welfare activities.
“We propose that Government should restore these grants in the 2012 financial year,” he said.
Responding to a question on water, Ald Chakabuda said if local authorities were left to determine the price of water in consultation with ratepayers, supplies would improve.

“Those asking us to cut charges are not helping. What irks us is that the Government cancels what we agree with residents.
“If the Government was assisting us there would be reason to interfere. They should not only contribute through interference,” he said.
He refused to be drawn into naming particular ministers, but it was apparent he was referring to Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo and Water Resources Development and Management Minister Sipepa Nkomo.

Ald Chakabuda said UCAZ favours the reinstatement of the office of the executive mayor and granting authority to appoint special interest councillors to councils.
Asked whether UCAZ had any standards for people seeking the office of councillor, Ald Chakabuda said no one in Zimbabwe had the licence to talk on the caliber of councillors without addressing the national constitution.

“It is wrong to say the calibre is wrong. We opened the gates and that is what the gates provided,” he said.
He said councillors’ allowances were a mockery compared to the work they do for communities. He said Members of Parliament claim glory for the work done by councillors.

“No MP can claim to have removed garbage in Harare or Masvingo. They claim ownership for what we do,” he said.
Ald Chakabuda said a 30:70 percent salaries to service delivery ratio was not feasible.

“The feasible ratio is non interference by Government into entities they are not funding. What we agree with residents should become the feasible ratio,” he said.
Ald Chakabuda said urban councils had managed under difficult conditions to resuscitate water and sewer facilities, revive refuse collection and improve street lighting.
He said councils in Zimbabwe were funding 99 percent of their budgets, a feat he said had broken African and world records.