Chamisa retains current councillors

OPPOSITION leader Mr Nelson Chamisa has sparked public outcry after his party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), nominated persons with corruption charges hanging over their heads to be candidates in Harare.

Apart from facing corruption charges, the host of former councillors that Mr Chamisa party nominated, who include disgraced former Mayor Herbert Gomba, are also accused by residents of running the capital down.

The recalled councillors eyeing to bounce back include Gomba, Denford Ngadziore, Lovemore Makuwerere, Hammy Madzingira, Costa Mande, Kudzai Kadzombe, Happymore Gotora and Gilbert Hadebe.

Gomba, Madzingira, Mande, and a host of other opposition councillors were arrested on land scam allegations with most of the cases still pending before the courts.

Harare Residents Trust director Mr Precious Shumba said most of the councillors who were recalled are to blame for poor service delivery.

"Service delivery was not even a priority among most of the recalled councillors. One must recognise that the 2018-2021 council has been one of the worst in terms of their representation, oversight, and law-making roles.

"Their presence in council is most unfortunate and undesirable because they do not really represent the electorate, but are simply taking over council land and space for their activists in lower council ranks. Councillors facing criminal charges face the real possibility of jail time," said Mr Shumba.

He added that after the Government cracked the whip, removing the undesirable elements from Harare City Council, there was a semblance of order in the capital before the new crop of councillors slackened and began dabbling in graft.

"Residents should not be misled by various excuses given that power is with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. The councillors largely fight to be councillors to continue the culture of looting council land," he said.

Combined Harare Residents Association programmes manager Mr Reuben Akili said the upcoming elections would provide the chance for the electorate to choose better representatives.

"Elections should be the barometer that should be used by the people to judge the performance of the recalled councillors.  Citizens should judge who represented them well. However, overall service delivery has been on a nose dive," he said.

Mr Chamisa has been accused of playing appeasement politics as he imposed candidates, reportedly hand-picking his loyalists.