Urban councils short-changing ratepayers

EDITOR — While Rural District Councils (RDCs) countrywide are performing above board regarding service delivery the same cannot be said about MDC-led urban councils.

Although some cyber trolls point fingers at Government for the mess in most urban municipalities, my view is that respective councils should shoulder the blame because they are responsible for their own budgets and daily council affairs.

Mismanagement of council resources, that is rate payer`s money, misplaced priorities, corruption and greediness are major factors affecting urban councils.

MDC-run councils prioritise awarding themselves hefty salaries at the expense of service delivery.

This scenario leaves questions of sustainability against first class service delivery. Most urban councils prioritise purchase of very expensive and luxurious vehicles while complaining of lack of funds to buy refuse collection trucks and ambulances.

The councils are failing to provide basic services like refuse collection, roads rehabilitation, provision of clean and safe tap water and repair of burst sewage and water pipes, breeding a convenient environment for cholera and dysentery outbreaks.

Huge piles of uncollected garbage and streams of flowing raw sewage have become a common feature in both CBDs and in residential areas.

Burst water pipes take ages to be repaired and some suburbs have gone for years without tap water.

Most urban roads are not trafficable, having been infested with huge potholes. Residents in high density suburbs complain of receiving exorbitant water bills despite going for years without tap water.

This exposes hypocrisy, crippling confusion and corruption in urban councils.

On the other hand RDCs, which are led by Zanu PF are doing their best to rehabilitate gravel roads, thereby complementing Government efforts to provide trafficable roads across the country.

RDCs have currently graded 14 353 kilometres of gravel roads against a planned target of 23390 kilometres while the District Development Fund (DDF) has also surpassed its target by grading 21 231 kilometres.

It is evident MDC-T dominated councils have neglected our once beautiful cities. It is prudent therefore, to vote them out on July 30, 2018.

Tendai Guta