Councillors are a threat to Zimbabwe democracy, whose interest are they serving?

Its high time Zimbabwe must elect honest people in office. The current hullabaloo surrounding governance issues at town house is of serious concern and this should be addressed urgently. When these councillors were elected into office Harare rate payers had high and much-anticipated confidence in these guys thinking that they will serve at the interests of the common people on the ground. We have heard a lot in terms of governance and financial irregularities on the council but as we speak MDC councillors have joined the band of looting national resources. Recently there was a high levelled meeting of councillors to resolve some issues so that council public expenditure regarding the 21 million collected on monthly basis to our surprise the councillors sided with the financial director and they opposed the Mayor's move meaning these councillors have been bought full time so that they can loot as much as possible in the council coffers.

Bernard Manyenyeni has proved to be quality leader
I've been carefully studying this gentleman for a long time hats off to the honourable Mayor of Harare. I now see the reason why the executive together with Kasukuwere was fighting this man it is because he refused to be part of the loot. Manyenyeni as of late before he assumed the role of being a councillor he was running his businesses successful and he has a good record as far as governance issues are concerned. Our problem in Zimbabwe is to put someone in office without anything. We need to learn one or two business ethics from Manyenyeni. He has his own things, and his track record is good, and he has refused to be part of the loot and some councillors they are opposed to his moves because they want someone to loot with.

We need educated and professional councillors with clearn record in 2018
Despite our political and divergence views I would recommend that all these councillors must go and we need educated and professional councillors. We have a serious problem as far as governance issues are concerned. As we speak most of these councillors are opposed to audit moves because they have accumulated a lot of wealth. Most of these councillors are high school drop outs without any meaningful education. They go for meetings to drink alcohol and smoking and majority of them do not know the meaning of the word "revenue and expenditure". Our nation has become a laughing stock in the world because of the standards we have set for ourselves. We need a thorough cleansing at town house including the management. We have a big elephant in the room and the big elephant is called corruption and this should be corrected urgently. We need councillors who go in meetings to debate real matters affecting residents in Zimbabwe. Harare being the major city which has a lot of economic activities and at the same time a centre of tourism, we highly recommend academics and researchers to be councillors in Harare and Zimbabwe at large. Bringing drunkards and hooligans in the town chambers is of no use because this is bringing the name of the city into disrepute. How do we expect these councillors to debate policy matters when they are clearly party cadres who came into council chambers using party tickets instead of considering technocrats and academics in the area of development, finance and planning.

Tsvangirai should fire the entire Harare councillors
We have noted with serious concern that there is rampant corruption at town house and councillors are now siding with the current financial director who has messed up big time. If Tsvangirai is serious about 2018 there is one scapegoat at town house and he must sincerely dismiss the whole bunch of councillors so that democracy prevail. Harare rate payers do not elect officials so that they begin to loot the little that is left in the council coffers. Harare councillors are seriously compromised and the best is to dismiss them. Most of these came to town house with one or two trousers but as we speak they are driving huge vehicles and they own vas tracks of land which is contrary to the MDC motto. Tsvangirai should look into the issue of candidates for 2018 very seriously before considering these thugs into office. They failed to protect James Mushore into office because they wanted someone who is much compromised.

We expect world standards
If you look at the revenue collected at town house you can easily tell that something is going wrong or someone is easily benefitting indirectly from the council coffers. There is a traditional loot at town house and its high time these corrupt elements should be weeded out to preserve our integrity which is already compromised. There was so much heated debate over the issue of revenue collected at town house which amounts to 21 million on monthly basis. Its high time Harare city should meet global standards. Here are my following questions

- Who is benefitting from this amount?
- Why is it workers are not paid at townhouse?
- Why up to now the issue of town clerk is not yet finalised?
- How much is the current acting town clerk is getting?
- Why is the council having budget deficits?
- Do we have qualified personnel at town house or appointments are done on partisan interests?


Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is an academic and researcher who Heads Mentorship Institute of National Development and Sustainability (MINDS) which is responsible for policy analysis and research. He holds a M.A in Development studies from University of Lusaka, Zambia. He can be contacted at greatorminds@gmail.com.