Mnangagwa to intervene in mismanaged cities

Government is concerned by the appalling service delivery in major cities and towns which are run by the opposition MDC-led councils, with plans already in motion for the State to intervene and avert total collapse.

President Mnangagwa said MDC-run urban local authorities had dismally failed in the area of service delivery as evidenced by bad roads, non-collection of garbage and failure to supply running water in most suburbs. He said the Government could not continue folding its hands while the situation spiralled out of control.

He was speaking at Jenya Secondary School in Chivi on Wednesday where he addressed hundreds of people on strides made by the Government to improve social services in rural and urban areas.

The situation in major cities, most notably the capital city Harare, Bulawayo and Gweru was awful and a cause for serious concern.

"In terms of social services, if you go to Harare, Bulawayo or Gweru today, the situation is now very bad. Roads are worn out and heavily potholed among other problems and all these urban councils are run by the opposition MDC.

"What the MDC has done to our cities and towns is embarrassing. It is very embarrassing and they have failed so much that even in some suburbs, they can go for weeks without running water. They have totally failed."

President Mnangagwa said it was high time urban voters gave Zanu-PF a chance to run the local authorities following the MDC's monumental failure to deliver in towns and cities.

"The problems obtaining in our towns and cities are because of failure by the MDC but as Government we have already made a decision that we cannot sit idly while the situation continues to deteriorate."

"We sat down and agreed to rescue the situation so that our cities do not collapse totally so soon something along those lines will start happening," said President Mnangagwa.

The President also spoke about the need to increase women representation in rural local authorities saying he had agreed to  set aside a 30 percent quota for women in rural district councils following a recent meeting in Victoria Falls, with female councillors.

The opposition MDC councillors have exhibited a propensity for self aggrandisement and looting in local authorities instead of expending energy on service delivery.

Most towns and cities under the opposition are mired in endless challenges ranging from poor road networks, piling garbage and severe water shortages caused by rundown infrastructure which has not been maintained or replaced for many years.

Already, there have been calls for Government to appoint commissions to run the affairs of some of the big cities and towns to arrest the decline.