PM admits to rot in councils

MDC-T led urban councils that is adversely affecting service delivery.
Councillors and officials in most cities and towns have been accused of corruptly allocating themselves residential and commercial stands.
The MDC-T councillors have often accused the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Ignatius Chombo of unnecessarily interfering in their operations each time he suspends them for misconduct.
Addressing the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) conference in Victoria Falls on Thursday, the Prime Minister said the local authorities should deal with rampant corruption that was hampering service delivery.
The conference was later postponed because there were no audited reports of UCAZ.
“Corruption is a cancer that we must treat early and action must be taken against corrupt officials at whatever level, whether in Central Government, local authorities and the private sector,” Prime Minister Tsvangirai.
“There have been reports of corruption in councils that have manifested themselves in reported cases of embezzlement as well as in the allocation of residential and commercial stands.”
“I am also aware of the unbridled corruption in the allocation of Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle houses as well as market stalls in the different towns where senior politicians and politically connected barons are sub-letting and fleecing deserving people. Legitimate beneficiaries should not be prejudiced at the expense of corrupt barons.”
Prime Minster Tsvangirai said the fact that Central Government and parties in the inclusive Government had constituted the Anti-Corruption Commission was an indication that they had zero tolerance to corruption.
He said urban councils had raised concerns on the allocation of the Zinara funds, which he said was disproportionate to the size and traffic volumes in the various towns and local authorities.
“However, it has not all been doom and gloom in local authorities. Despite challenges, there is massive improvement in many areas, especially in the provision of water, sewer reticulation system and basic health and education,” said Prime Minister Tsvangirai.
He said he was particularly pleased to see the great work that has been done in order to solve the perennial water shortage in Bulawayo through the Mtshabezi-Umzingwane pipeline.