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ally, with the paper this week launching a scathing attack on the party’s councillors saying the prospect of their re-election was scary.
In an editorial comment titled “Will these councillors of shame ever learn”, the Daily News admitted for the first time that the electorate missed it in 2008 when it elected MDC-T councillors into office.
Reads the article: “If they are not demanding hefty sitting allowances, they are embroiled in some form of controversy. This is the tragedy of electing fly-by-night people who have no idea of what their relevant office demands. Harare city councillors who were elected into office on MDC ticket in the 2008 harmonised elections rank arguably amongst the worst councillors this city has ever had. They have done little to steer this once sunshine city back to its glorious days.”
The Daily News, a known MDC-T mouthpiece, joins a growing list of previously sympathetic media – among them the BBC, CNN, The Guardian and New York Times – who have all expressed disappointment with the MDC-T’s leadership credentials.
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora yesterday distanced his party from the Daily News, saying there was no relationship between them and urged the Daily News to desist from telling people who to vote for.
“We do not own any newspaper at all and we do not even want to own one. We want newspapers to publish stories as they wish but they must be factual. The decision who to vote for and who not to vote for in Harare rests with the people of Harare. We are confident that our councillors will win in Harare. It is not fair to the innocent councillor to be painted with the same brush as the corrupt ones,” he said.
Mr Mwonzora said the MDC-T has taken action against corrupt councillors, saying the move “was a plus for the party”.
The Daily News accused Harare councillors of corruption and other forms of impropriety saying service delivery continued to plummet as evidenced by potholes and mounds of garbage robbing Harare of its sunshine city status.
“However, what it shows, whether fairly or unfairly, is that the MDC itself has not thoroughly vetted people who occupy offices that demand brilliance and astuteness . . . Surely we shudder to think what Harare would be like if people of such calibre are re-elected. As it is, there is zero confidence in Harare councillors and most of MDC-dominated local authorities.
“In Bulawayo, for example, residents and civic groups are shocked at the decision to shortlist Water Resources Minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo for the freedom of the city award. Ironically, there is water rationing in Bulawayo where residents can only flush their toilets at 7pm,” The Daily News said.
Online Reporter