Excellent service delivery key in local municipalities

Service delivery is an essential function in the relation between local municipalities and citizens. Therefore, it is important to realize that citizens are customers who need excellent service delivery from their local municipalities.

The recent issue of church demolitions by Harare City council (HCC) is a cause of concern that I believe should be rightfully addressed and put to rest.

Recently, local churches have been complaining of the demolitions of their structures by Harare City council. It has been reported that church structures have been mushrooming in open illegal spaces. However, HCC has been unlawfully collecting monthly fees from these churches. If these church structures were erected on illegal land, why then did HCC collected monthly payments from them?

Firstly, Harare municipality should identify and immediately stop all illegal structures rather than waiting for them to spread out. If illegal structures are left uncontrolled, this gives room for the city fathers to unlawfully demand fees from these churches.

Surely, it's unreasonable for HCC to first allocate these church organizations illegal land whilst promising them official land later. This exposes a form of corruption by local as authorities.

Municipal authorities should be the providers of positive direction to the general public in cities and towns. They should be encouraged that a healthy city can transform the lives of people positively. One way of doing this is shunning any form of corruption. Corruption hinders development of a town, city and consequently the entire nation. Therefore, HCC should be encouraged to be clean on its operations so as to avoid disputes within the community.

It really boggles the mind how some of these local municipalities abuse their offices to the detriment of service delivery.

Normally churches are nonprofit organizations. Any profit made by the organization goes back into the operation of the organization to carry out its purposes and is not distributed to any of its members. HCC should make sure that not all churches are profit making. Those that are involved in businesses may be taxed.

On the other hand, church organizations seeking for land of their church structures should follow proper procedures when acquiring for land. This is a proper way of avoiding being duped by the municipal officials who have a propensity of enriching themselves at the expense of citizens, who are the ratepayers.  

Corrupt officials are not suitable to hold public offices. The fact that most Harare municipal officials are members of the opposition MDC-T party who have an agenda of further destabilizing the economy explains it all why these councillors are failing to offer quality service delivery. Poor service delivery is actually a form of sabotage by the opposition councillors.

Besides the issue of allocation of land to citizens and church organizations, HCC must also ensure that citizens are getting clean tape water. Failing to do so will result in eruption of diseases such as typhoid. This is a risk to human life as most people in Harare survive on tape water.

 Local authorities should acquire lasting and sustainable solutions in order to improve the service delivery to the public.

Lastly, city councils play a pivotal role in the day to day livelihood of the ordinary citizens in any given nation. In urban areas, the services that are offered by municipalities are much needed as they contribute more towards a healthy environment for productive citizens.