adminService delivery in virtually all the towns and cities throughout the country has hit rock bottom, with residents literally swimming in sewage and living alongside garbage .
The people of Zimbabwe have been grappling with poor and in most cases non-existent service delivery. Residents in the various local authorities in Zimbabwe have had to contend with a plethora of problems which include uncollected refuse, bursting sewers, erratic water supplies, and roads filled with potholes which have become a nightmare for motorists.
The situation is worse in Harare, the capital city, which is supposed to be the leader when it comes to civic administration, and residents are reportedly drinking water laced with human waste.
A lot has been said to the effect that Bulawayo is better run and that the city’s fathers have the interest of ratepayers and residents at heart, but this is far from the truth.
A closer look will reveal that the City of Kings is not faring much better and can easily clinch the prize for filthiness and maladministration if there was such a competition.
Of late, there has been chaos at Town Hall, with workers downing tools because they have not been paid, while garbage continues to pile up in residential areas, especially in the western suburbs like Cowdray Park where residents have resorted to dumping on undesignated areas.
The water problems in Bulawayo are far from over and even the Mtshabezi pipelink that was billed as a short-term measure to alleviate the plight of thirsty residents appears a pie in the sky.
Given the above challenges in our urban areas, one would think that in spite of all these, the people who were elected into power on the promise that they would put the interests of residents first would be doing exactly that and frantically seek solutions.
But alas, they are doing exactly the opposite and appear to be keen on feathering their own nests.
Yesterday, we reported that the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Cde Ignatius Chombo, had turned down a request by mayors to be issued with diplomatic passports, laptops and to be paid increased allowances.
The minister said the request by the mayors was selfish as they were seeking personal benefits at the expense of other councillors and residents that they were supposed to serve.
“I am disappointed by these councillors. They ought to feel ashamed and realise that Government has been too generous when it comes to benefits. Being a councillor is more of servitude than full-time employment to seek personal gains,” said Dr Chombo.
We could not agree with the minister more.
City fathers ought to be prioritising service delivery in their areas of jurisdiction.
How, we ask, will a diplomatic passport given to the mayor of Bulawayo help the people of Makokoba who have been forced by circumstances to live with the stench coming from Mazai stream everyday?
How will that solve Bulawayo’s perennial water problems?
Of course living in a global village, mayors and councillors are required to travel abroad to interact with their counterparts from other countries and meet important development partners, but we are yet to hear of a mayor or councillor who could not travel because they did not have a diplomatic passport.
Why can’t they use the ordinary passports that everybody else uses?
We do not believe getting diplomatic passports is the panacea to the myriad of challenges facing not only our towns and cities, but rural district councils as well.
We therefore implore mayors and their councillors to get their priorities right.
Of course they deserve better perks but they should be reminded that they are ceremonial mayors who should be putting the interests of residents first.
Online Reporter