Former mayor warns of ‘service deceivery’

Talent Gore

FORMER Harare mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni, has warned candidates for local government elections against making promises to deliver services they cannot fulfil.

Speaking at a meeting of residents and candidates organised by Ward 7 Residents and Ratepayers Association in Mt Pleasant, Manyenyeni said that during his time as mayor, much of the revenue collected went towards salaries rather than service delivery, meaning that officials should have stopped making promises.

The city, he said, prioritised salaries and failed to fund services.

Manyenyeni called this situation “service deceivery” because service delivery had virtually collapsed.

“From my time as councillor and mayor of Harare, at my State of the City address, I coined the term ‘service deceivery’ and this is when we should have stopped promising residents service delivery because we simply couldn’t deliver,” he said.