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The analysts said the party’s decision would, however, not help reverse the damage caused by its inept councillors who brought about untold suffering among the citizens of the country through poor service delivery.
Political analyst and newspaper columnist, Mr Panganayi Kahuni said MDC-T left it until too late to curb corruption within its ranks. He said the party was desperate to portray itself as a democratic organisation with zero-tolerance towards corruption ahead of the anticipated elections.
The move, Mr Kahuni said, was meant to hoodwink the electorate that was subjected to poor service delivery and unprofessional conduct by MDC-T councillors.
“This is just political grandstanding on the part of MDC. Why now at the eleventh hour? Zimbabweans must be wary of such people. These (the firing and suspensions of corrupt councillors) are just crocodile tears. How can corruption be an issue to MDC-T today when they have been running most urban councils for many years now? This is hypocritical, undemocratic and unethical.
MDC in 2002 recruited uneducated and violent people, some of them touts, to take up leadership positions within their party structures. This was after the West had poured some money into MDC coffers. People should look at this with a critical eye,” said Mr Kahuni.
He said service delivery in MDC-T run urban councils deteriorated to levels worse than those that prevailed in Rhodesia.
He added that the poor service delivery from MDC-T run councils was testimony that the party lacked capacity to govern, hence its reliance on borrowed intelligence from its Western and US-based backers.
“Look at what happened at Harare’s Morton Jaffray water works, a whole load of cyanide was delivered to the water plant. This has never happened in Zimbabwe, not even in racist Rhodesia. It’s very clear; MDC-T does not have the capacity. The ideas, actions and opinions they express are not theirs. It’s voucher-thinking or sponsored logic. It is not originating from them. There is this Freedom House which is acting like the MDC-T think-tank making it appear as if MDC-T thinks. No, the party has no opinion of its own,” said Mr Kahuni.
He said MDC-T’s biggest undoing was its failure to distinguish between party and government business.
Mr Kahuni said a political party in an inclusive Government should always strive to engage its partners first and desist from acting on impulse.
“When elected into office, one must respond to show that he or she has outgrown party politics. Minister Chombo tried to fire corrupt councillors but MDC-T quickly politicised the whole issue.
Surprisingly, they are doing the same thing now which they labelled rubbish when it was done by Minister Chombo. They attacked Minister Chombo when he dealt with corrupt MDC councillors. They even went on to say the minister’s stance marked the breakdown of the rule of war.
MDC is now in Government and they should stop making party decisions.
They should take a national position. Why did they not take their position to fire corrupt councillors to Government? They are not alone in Government, there are two other parties. We learned that the mayor of Gweru was not brought before a disciplinary hearing neither was he formally informed about his dismissal. Who gave them the power to fire or hire anyone? True democracy entails that decisions like firing councillors be taken to the very people who elected them. That’s democracy,” he said.
Midlands State University lecturer and Dean of Social Sciences, Mr Christopher Gwatidzo said MDC-T was by design, a corrupt party bent on serving selfish interests.
He said their dismissal of 12 councillors over allegations of corruption was just a smokescreen meant to fool the electorate ahead of the anticipated elections.
“This is all about elections. There is no coincidence in the manner the MDC councillors performed throughout the country. There is one common thread — poor administration. Of concern also, is the residential stands scam where councillors allocated themselves stands which they later sold at five times the original price. The chickens are now coming home to roost. What the electorate should remember is that MDC-T is a party that advances selfish interests, a party without its own policies. Before the signing of the Global Political Agreement, their policy was President Mugabe must go, after signing their policy shifted to Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon) Gono and Attorney General Mr Johannes Tomana must go. People want to know what they have to offer as a party not who should be going ,” said Mr Gwatidzo.
MDC-T run councils, Mr Gwatidzo said, were responsible for the lack of direct foreign investment in the country.
He said no investor would want to invest in a city with little or no water.
“Gweru has some areas that have gone for five or more years without water. Recreational facilities in most cities in the country are now non-existent.
Mtapa Hall which hosted Zanu-PF’s first ever congress way back in 1963 is now dilapidated. The hall has no electricity and water. The Gweru Amateur Football Association (GAFA) grounds are neglected, they no longer have green lawn as the lawn is not being tended. Youths have nowhere to practise their games. Residents are sitting on a health time bomb owing to the water challenges. There is no running water.”
He added that the electorate has lost confidence in MDC-T.
“The situation is the same in all MDC-T run councils yet the party is busy focusing on promoting their selfish interests. Council workers at times go for several months without pay. The councillors are concerned about their allowances. If the election dates had been adhered to as stipulated in the GPA 18 to 24 months time, people would have voted MDC-T out. The electorate no longer has confidence in people who cannot work on their differences as individuals. Look at what Clr Chimombe says and what Sessil Zvidzai says, trading insults in the media. They cannot solve their own differences. MDC-T should simply stop this façade about witch-hunting and come before the people and own up. They should admit that they have failed,” said Mr Gwatidzo.
Bulawayo-based analyst, Mr Peter Baka Nyoni said urban councils were now worse-off than in the pre-MDC days.
He said when MDC-T took over they had the chance to improve things as they got funds from donors and water treatment chemicals from UNICEF.
“Things, instead, got worse. It is now very clear to residents that their choice is worse, not performing to perfection. People are now realising the party’s failures. They are being made to pay much in rates and other tariffs when there is no corresponding service delivery. MDC-T’s management side is just pathetic. The human capacity to manage has not come up. The level of corruption is frightening.
They only acted on their corrupt councillors now because of the findings of the US-based Freedom House which told them to act as they were losing popularity to Zanu-PF,” said Mr Baka Nyoni.
He predicted that the next elections could assume a different pattern from previous ones with voters going for character and principles as opposed to one’s political party.
He said the electorate was now better informed and could thus can not be hoodwinked.
Former Gweru mayor, Alderman Francis Chikwira, said councillors as city fathers, should think outside the box to lessen the burden on ratepayers.
He said they should learn to cut costs, including stopping luxurious trips that add no value to service delivery.
“Today’s councillors do not have people’s interests at heart unlike those of my time. We had a ‘people first’ motto that we adhered to religiously. It was not a priority then to drive a Prado at the expense of service delivery. Water leaks should be attended to urgently. The leaks reduce pressure as some areas end up not receiving water. Infrastructure is in bad shape and the roads are in poor condition.
“When I assumed office in 1987, we inherited a huge debt of about $12 million but we managed to turn that around without even raising rates and other tariffs. I even introduced bonus to workers because it is only a motivated worker who can help you meet your targets. All this needs a council that is disciplined and thinks outside the box,” said Alderman Chikwira.
Online Reporter