Story by Wellington Makonese
EXPERTS have condemned the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) for creating a leadership vacuum in the City of Harare after yet another recall of the Mayor, Councillor Lovejoy Chitengu.
Barely a month after assuming office as Mayor of Harare under controversial circumstances, Councillor Chitengu has been recalled from office by the CCC interim Secretary General Sengezo Tshabangu.
The recall was originally communicated to the City of Harare by the Local Government and Public Works Minister, Honourable Winston Chitando on the 13th of November before Chitengu became Mayor on the 21st of November but remained in office on the basis of a typographical error omitting the letter ‘N’ on his last name.
However, in a letter to the Town Clerk dated 12 December, Minister Chitando clarified the correction of the name and recall of Chitengu and the vacancy that now exists in terms of Section 278(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
Experts believe the prevailing situation in opposition circles is moving the nation backwards in terms of service provision.
“When we elect councillors, we expect that they will begin to serve the people. But what we are seeing from the City of Harare is ineptitude, they are doing politics of the stomachs, they can’t give us water, refuse is a challenge,” said the Zimbabwe National Organisations and Associations of Residents Trust national chairperson, Mr Shalvar Chikomba.
Harare Residents Trust director Mr Precious Shumba said, “This disrupts service delivery, in a very short space of time we are moving from one mayor to another, there is no flow of decision making, no effectiveness in relationship with technocrats. What will happen now with cholera, refuse and other shortcomings? It will be worsened because councillors will just be afraid of being recalled, and technocrats will not be sure which course of action to take.”
The recall comes at a time when city fathers are struggling to deal with refuse collection and provision of safe water, while the rainfall season has also brought another headache for motorists because of poor drainage.
The city of Harare will be electing its 4th mayor inside four months.
