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Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
Harare City Council’s Environment Management Committee (EMC) chairperson, Councillor Cecillia Chimbiri, says the city will have challenges developing due to laziness, greed and corruption.
She was testifying before the Commission of Inquiry into the city’s affairs yesterday.
In May, President Mnangagwa appointed a five-member Commission, led by retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda, to probe matters of local governance, financial affairs and operations at Harare City Council since 2017.
The hearings, which had taken a short break recently, resumed yesterday with Clr Chimbiri accusing the executive at Town House of lack of seriousness regarding solid waste management.
“I think we do have a lazy kind of leadership that is not prepared to move forward and to make service delivery a priority in the city,” she said.
“Lack of seriousness and probably laziness, have jeopardised service delivery. I think greed and corruption led to that and some of the reasons include ignorance, like you say, of people not understanding how this land is structured, the benefits of wetlands and so forth.”
When asked about the role of wetlands, Clr Chimbiri admitted she was unfamiliar with the topic and declined to respond.
She later offered an explanation, stating that she was still in the process of learning about many issues.
Clr Chimbiri accused senior officials of failing to provide reports, and worse, passing off 2018 reports as current 2024 reports when under pressure.
“We cannot convene a meeting to discuss a way forward for sewer management and waste management without a report from the administration.
“The laziness I previously mentioned is exemplified by the absence of these reports. I provided specific examples, which are recorded in the minutes and evidence. Consistent failure to submit these reports supports my assertion,” she said.
A number of people that have appeared before the Commission have criticised the way Harare City Council is run, saying it explains why there are many challenges in the capital city related to water supply, illegal parcelling out of land, poor collection of refuse and bad roads across the city, except those that have been rehabilitated by Government.
Online Reporter