No diplomatic passports for mayors: Chombo

down by the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Dr Ignatius Chombo.
Dr Chombo made the decision at the ill-fated Urban Councils’ Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) annual general meeting that was supposed to be held in Victoria Falls early this month, saying mayors were greedy. The meeting failed to take off because the UCAZ secretariat could not produce the organisation’s 2010 audited report.
Dr Chombo also declined a request for laptops and an increase in allowances by the mayors.
The minister reportedly exploded after the requests were made and told the mayors that their requests were selfish as they were seeking personal benefits at the expense of other councillors and the residents that they were supposed to serve.
“Dr Chombo was angry and did not mince his words when he told them that if they spent as much time and energy on service delivery issues as they did on seeking personal benefits, towns and cities would be far better places for residents,” said a councillor who attended the meeting.
Dr Chombo confirmed the development in a telephone interview yesterday.
“I am disappointed by these councillors. They ought to feel ashamed and realise that Government has been too generous when it comes to benefits. Being a councillor is more of servitude than full-time employment to seek personal gains,” said Dr Chombo.
He said diplomatic passports were for selected Government employees and could not be given to everybody.
“I do not understand the motive behind this request. These passports are for selected Government employees who need to travel abroad on national duty. Even some diplomats do not have them. If we extend the facility to mayors, we would have to give it to councillors as well,” he said.
The minister said mayors were at a low tier of Government that did not require the use of a diplomatic passport, adding that the nearest they could get as a substitute for their request was a service passport.
A diplomatic passport is a special kind of passport that is issued to foreign service officials (diplomats, consular officials, and others) and their families for their use on foreign postings. Holding a diplomatic passport does not, however, automatically confer diplomatic immunity on the bearer.
Turning to allowances and laptops, Dr Chombo said he turned down the requests without even looking at them.
“The level of service delivery in our towns and cities is below expectations and people are complaining. These councillors spend most of their time travelling so that they get allowances instead of devoting time to attend to service delivery. They are not worried about the concerns of the people who voted them into office,” he said.
Dr Chombo said the mayors had never approached his office to seek assistance on matters that would improve service delivery.
“In Harare, the water that residents drink is now worse, yet they have never asked for our assistance. They have never even held a robust debate on the issue with stakeholders to come up with solutions. All they do is asking for more for themselves,” said Dr Chombo.
Contacted for comment, UCAZ’s first vice-president and Bulawayo Mayor, Councillor Thaba Moyo, said the minister’s remarks were unfortunate and unfair.
“What we were asking for was our welfare and has nothing to do with service delivery. We are also human beings who need to be motivated. The minister should not say we are greedy, but should simply say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to our requests. Bona bahamba ngama-Benz but we have never complained,” said Clr Moyo.
He alleged that Minister Chombo is the one who promised them laptops.
Clr Moyo said laptops would reduce council expenses on printing piles of memoranda for mayors.
“The machines are not for personal use, but to complement council efforts in reducing expenditure and allow us to access important information quickly. We have a right to ask for these things,” he said.