Sundaymail Editor
Noah Pito in Hurungwe —
A fortnight ago, Hurungwe Rural District Council in Mashonaland West bought motorbikes for its 26 councillors for use in the discharge of their duties.
This, according to the council CEO Mr Joram Moyo, will not only improve councillors’ mobility and visibility in their wards, but also improve service delivery.
Hurungwe’s is probably the first rural district council in Zimbabwe to take such a step, which is made even more significant by the fact that many local authorities have huge salary backlogs and are failing to give minimal service to ratepayers.
Rural councillors are not the most envied public servants. They cover large areas of jurisdiction that are underdeveloped and have huge demands that are not rewarded with the kind of remuneration such tasks deserve.
For that reason, Hurugwe is trying to make things easier for its councillors. Said Mr Moyo: “With Zim-Asset, the councillors resolved that the way to realise meaningful results could only be through close monitoring of the various projects in the wards. This can never happen if councillors continue to be foot-soldiers, walking through the breadth and length of the wards on foot.
“We have some wards spanning over 50km. Can one travel such a distance on foot? In fact, a resolution to buy the motor-bikes was passed some time ago after council realised that councillors need to be mobile and visible in their wards.
“Quick dissemination of information and close monitoring of vital projects is all that can make our programmes flourish.
”It took council some bit of some time to acquire these motor-bikes as we did not want to compromise service delivery, and the acquisition only came at a time when council had some fiscal space.”
Hurungwe is the largest district in Mashonaland West in north-western Zimbabwe. It has an area of 19 678,34 square kilometres and shares borders with Makonde district to the south and Guruve district in Mashonaland Central to the east.
Wards 7, 9, 14, and 20 are some of the largest in Hurungwe, and stretch for over 50km, while ward 7 stretches from Nyamakate through Marongora to Chirundu, a distance of about 100km.
At the hand-over of the motorbikes at Magunje Growth Point, outgoing Mashonaland West provincial administrator Mr Mike Mazai praised Hurungwe RDC for prioritising service delivery, and paying staff on time.
Mr Mazai said it was incumbent upon every local authority to respect ratepayers’ interests ahead of those of council workers, adding that the motorbikes should translate into service delivery without fail.
He thanked the council chair, Mr Tichaona Matthew, and his team for the work they were doing.
“There are some councils with up to three or four years’ salary arrears. I am happy Hurungwe Rural District Council is one of the model councils. It shows good organisation and good leadership. This move (of buying motorbikes for councillors) is very noble and let these motorbikes translate to timely service delivery,” he said.
Mr Mazai said wherever possible, councils must downsize their workforces as ICTs were taking over. He said due to the ever-increasing dependency on ICT, one person could be employed where previously three of four people might have been required.
Ward 20 councillor Mr Owen Makazhu was ecstatic as he took his first ride on his motorbike, saying he would now be able to visit previously inaccessible areas under his jurisdiction.
“If all rural councils in Zimbabwe could do the same, councillors would definitely be fully utilised. It is lack of transport that hinders rural councillors from timeously holding meetings at village or cluster levels,” he said.
Ward 9’s Mr Dickson Jani said the motorbike made it easier for him to organise community meetings and monitor distribution of Government-sourced agricultural inputs and food relief.
“In my view, every rural ward councillor must have a motor bike. Let us not continue to live in an era where councillors are expected to visit their people on foot.
“It is necessary that even village heads be considered for bicycles. Village heads are the very people who make work for the councillors easier. Likewise, councillors make the work for MPs easier. Throughout this hierarchy there is need for a reliable mode of transport to reach the people.”
Hurungwe council chair Mr Matthew said upon change of leadership in council at the next local government elections, councillors would not be expected to surrender the motorbikes.
“We are saying the bikes become theirs for good. That’s their benefit, whether they lose or bounce back into council come 2018. For now we expect quality service delivery through the bikes,” he said.
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