adminMichael Chideme Municipal Reporter
MDC-T has shown confidence in 21 Harare City councillors who won the party’s primary elections despite sharp criticism from residents who complained of poor representation in council.That confidence is beginning to backfire on the party as the Zanu-PF candidates are receiving rave reviews among the residents because they are not tainted by corruption and poor service delivery.
The other 22 councillors either lost the primaries to new entrants or did not contest because they were fired by Government and their party on allegations of corruption.
During their tenure some of the MDC-T councillors grabbed houses from residents in Highfield, Glen Norah, Mabvuku, Tafara and Dzivarasekwa – a move that put the councillors in bad light with the electorate.
MDC-T had 45 elected councillors. Two of the councillors died before they could complete their terms of office.
Corruption and mismanagement of city affairs cost almost half of the outgoing councillors the right to represent their party in the July 31 poll.
Harare Residents Trust which appraises performance of councillors notes that only 13 out of the 45 MDC-T councillors deserved to contest the fortcoming elections. Zanu-PF had one councillor.
HRT co-ordinator Mr Precious Shumba said the failure by the 22 councillors to win the MDC-T primary elections vindicated the organisation’s appraisal of the councillors.
“This has vindicated the HRT, which insisted on transparency and accountability of elected leaders, arguing throughout that the majority of the elected councillors in Harare lack the moral standing to represent the residents of Harare,” he said.
He said in some wards the councillors had literally deserted the people and used council as a launch pad into business. Mr Shumba said MDC-T never cared to investigate the allegations of corruption levelled against the majority of its councillors.
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