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Farirai Machivenyika-Senior Reporter
Council and Government officials that illegally approve opening of businesses at undesignated places face arrest for abuse of office, Harare Metropolitan Province Permanent Secretary Mr Tafadzwa Muguti has said.
Mr Muguti said this while addressing residents from various northern suburbs of Harare that included Borrowdale, Highlands, Chisipiti, the Grange and Mt Pleasant.
The meeting was meant to address various residents’ concerns that included construction on wetlands, mushrooming of bars and nightclubs and roadside vending.
Mr Muguti said there were some council and Government officials issuing operating permits illegally, and directed them to stop the practice or face arrest.
“We are going to arrest people and the reason why we are going to arrest people is you plan development on land which you knew was not designated for that purpose; that is abuse of office,” he said.
“I can assure you that anyone who approves any plan be it in the Ministry of Local Government, the City of Harare or any local authority; if you touch any wetlands then that’s you fastest way to Chikurubi.”
Zanu PF candidate for Ward 8 and Borrowdale resident, Cde Angeline Nyatanga, said the meeting was important to address issues of service delivery.
“We have issues of water and sanitation, refuse collection and repairing roads and we hope that with this meeting that we have had, our concerns will be addressed,” she said.
Another resident of Borrowdale, Mr Derrick Zhanje, said the area was losing its lustre due to deteriorating infrastructure, among other issues.
“We have been observing deteriorating infrastructure and service delivery in the area. Our conviction is that these issues can be addressed through engagement with all the stakeholders and we can proffer solutions that can address our concerns,” said Mr Zhanje.
Cde Beadle Gwasira, the Zanu PF candidate for Mt Pleasant, said the issues raised by residents had been there for a long time.
“I think what we have is a challenge of implementation, no one is implementing the laws that are there, be it on environment or wetlands,” he said.
Harare, just like all other urban areas, has been decimated by incompetent and thoroughly corrupt opposition councillors and officials who have been fraudulently parcelling out land to their friends and family members.
Despite collecting rates from residents, service delivery has fallen to its lowest, with heaps of garbage now a common sight all over town.
Some of the corrupt officials have been arrested, appeared in court and convicted, but their replacements have not been any better.
It is for this reason that President Mnangagwa and other Zanu PF officials have been imploring urban voters to vote for the revolutionary party in the August 23 harmonised elections.
Online Reporter