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Local authorities are struggling because of enmity in govt
30 Sep 2021 at 13:53hrs | Views
MDC legislator for Magwegwe Anele Ndebele has revealed that local authorities headed by the opposition MDC are struggling with service delivery because of bad blood between the opposition and the governing party.
He made the remarks during debate in parliament.
"I wish to say if ever there was bad blood between your (Felix Mhona- Transport) Ministry and local authorities, especially Bulawayo, before your tenure began, I pray that you mend relations I might as well go further to apologise on behalf of the local authorities," he said.
"Why am I raising this Hon. Minister? It is because it is clear to all of us in this House that local authorities are struggling to mend roads. In Bulawayo, especially one road that passes right by my house was stripped of tar more than 10 years ago and to date our council is struggling to re-tar that one."
He said he believes when disbursement funds to local authorities are done the minister waits for them to finish working on a particular road, they reconcile with his office and only then he is able to release more funds.
"If that modus operandi could be revisited so that before the onset of the rainy season our councils are able to attack the numerous roads that require mending," he said.
In response Mhona assured the august House that in the next few weeks they will see the disbursement list from ZINARA again to say this is how much they gave to a Rural District Council, local authority, to the Ministry which is under Department of Roads so that each and every road authority is accountable.
" We do not want a scenario where people would say the City of Harare is not being given funds. This is something that we are doing so that the citizenry will know that this is the amount that went towards a particular project because this money is supposed to go towards road rehabilitation. We want to make it clear that each road authority will account. We are going to flight the amounts that we are going to disburse to local authorities, rural district councils, DDF and Department of Roads," he said.
He made the remarks during debate in parliament.
"I wish to say if ever there was bad blood between your (Felix Mhona- Transport) Ministry and local authorities, especially Bulawayo, before your tenure began, I pray that you mend relations I might as well go further to apologise on behalf of the local authorities," he said.
"Why am I raising this Hon. Minister? It is because it is clear to all of us in this House that local authorities are struggling to mend roads. In Bulawayo, especially one road that passes right by my house was stripped of tar more than 10 years ago and to date our council is struggling to re-tar that one."
He said he believes when disbursement funds to local authorities are done the minister waits for them to finish working on a particular road, they reconcile with his office and only then he is able to release more funds.
"If that modus operandi could be revisited so that before the onset of the rainy season our councils are able to attack the numerous roads that require mending," he said.
In response Mhona assured the august House that in the next few weeks they will see the disbursement list from ZINARA again to say this is how much they gave to a Rural District Council, local authority, to the Ministry which is under Department of Roads so that each and every road authority is accountable.
" We do not want a scenario where people would say the City of Harare is not being given funds. This is something that we are doing so that the citizenry will know that this is the amount that went towards a particular project because this money is supposed to go towards road rehabilitation. We want to make it clear that each road authority will account. We are going to flight the amounts that we are going to disburse to local authorities, rural district councils, DDF and Department of Roads," he said.
Source - Byo24News
