Govt appoints municipal resuscitation teams

the crumbling of governance systems at the two Mashonaland West councils.
Such teams are only put in place when Government is fully convinced local management has failed to manage affairs and when public confidence in the administration has been eroded.
However, the major weakness of the deployment has always been that of retaining the status quo after the resuscitation team leaves.
Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo, last week said the teams would help “put systems in place after current management derailed it to facilitate looting.”
He said despite numerous workshops and meetings to advise the two councils against abusing public assets “they have simply gone back to improve on theft.”
He said councillors at Chinhoyi and Kadoma devised mechanisms through, which they connived with officials.
Councillors would approve management requests in exchange for management doing the same. Makonde Rural District Council chairman, Mr SG Magombedze leads the Chinhoyi team, while the Kadoma team is led by Mr Spencer Madzudo Pawadyira, director civil protection in the Ministry of Local Governmet, Rural and Urban Development.
The teams, which are expected to finalise all labour issues in the respective councils have similar terms of reference. Minister Chombo said the teams should clarify roles of councillors and management to avoid future conflict.
“Establish a mechanism to restore the confidence of the residents and ratepayers on the operations of council and also institute counteractive procedures and recommend any other action reckoned indispensable to re-establish functionality of council,” said Minister Chombo.
He said the teams, which were made of local government practitioners should recommend appropriate action against councillors and officials “guilty of any misdeeds”.
Minister Chombo has held numerous meetings with the two councils at the behest of residents complaining of corruption and disappearance of service delivery. The residents have accused councillors of enriching themselves, borrowing from the cities to lead lavish lifestyles.