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Mkandla blames 2030 extension for poor service delivery
2 hrs ago |
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BULAWAYO - Residents and Churches Peace Network coordinator Max Mkandla has criticised the extension of the tenure of councillors and Members of Parliament to 2030, arguing that the move has weakened accountability and contributed to poor service delivery.
Mkandla said elected representatives have become increasingly detached from the communities that voted for them because they no longer face elections in 2028.
"Right now there is a vast difference since the two houses, the councillors and the local government and the Members of Parliament, their term was actually extended up to 2030 instead of 2028," said Mkandla.
"There is no reason for these people to be in that office. The government made a great error. They should have concentrated on the issue of the President to extend his term up to 2030 and not the Members of Parliament and the councillors."
He argued that extending the tenure of councillors and legislators had weakened one of the key mechanisms through which citizens hold elected officials accountable.
"The same people are now biting this electorate because they know very well that they are going up to 2030. As a result, there are no elections as of now up to 2030," he said.
According to Mkandla, some elected representatives have become less accessible to the communities they serve, while divisions have emerged among residents.
"They are now looking at 2030. As a result, they are no longer close to their wards or close to people or close to their provinces. Instead, they are dividing the electorate," he said.
However, he acknowledged that not all councillors and legislators had abandoned their responsibilities.
"Not all of them, of course, but we know definitely we have got such people in the system. We need elections, whether it's from the ruling party or from the opposition party," he said.
Mkandla said voters should be given an opportunity to assess the performance of their elected representatives based on commitments made during the 2023 election campaign.
"People voted for these people based on aims and objectives of the struggle, based on the issue of the campaign and how they were campaigning, what they promised the people. It seems it's now a different issue," he said.
He insisted that councillors and Members of Parliament should return to the electorate in 2028.
"Councillors and Members of Parliament must go straight to elections. Come 2028, not 2030. We need elections so that we remove those people who are not working with the people who voted for them," said Mkandla.
His remarks come amid ongoing debate over constitutional changes extending the tenure of Parliament and local authorities, with critics arguing that longer terms without a fresh electoral mandate could weaken democratic accountability and public oversight.
Mkandla said elected representatives have become increasingly detached from the communities that voted for them because they no longer face elections in 2028.
"Right now there is a vast difference since the two houses, the councillors and the local government and the Members of Parliament, their term was actually extended up to 2030 instead of 2028," said Mkandla.
"There is no reason for these people to be in that office. The government made a great error. They should have concentrated on the issue of the President to extend his term up to 2030 and not the Members of Parliament and the councillors."
He argued that extending the tenure of councillors and legislators had weakened one of the key mechanisms through which citizens hold elected officials accountable.
"The same people are now biting this electorate because they know very well that they are going up to 2030. As a result, there are no elections as of now up to 2030," he said.
According to Mkandla, some elected representatives have become less accessible to the communities they serve, while divisions have emerged among residents.
However, he acknowledged that not all councillors and legislators had abandoned their responsibilities.
"Not all of them, of course, but we know definitely we have got such people in the system. We need elections, whether it's from the ruling party or from the opposition party," he said.
Mkandla said voters should be given an opportunity to assess the performance of their elected representatives based on commitments made during the 2023 election campaign.
"People voted for these people based on aims and objectives of the struggle, based on the issue of the campaign and how they were campaigning, what they promised the people. It seems it's now a different issue," he said.
He insisted that councillors and Members of Parliament should return to the electorate in 2028.
"Councillors and Members of Parliament must go straight to elections. Come 2028, not 2030. We need elections so that we remove those people who are not working with the people who voted for them," said Mkandla.
His remarks come amid ongoing debate over constitutional changes extending the tenure of Parliament and local authorities, with critics arguing that longer terms without a fresh electoral mandate could weaken democratic accountability and public oversight.
Source - Byo24News
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