Sports / Local
MDC councillors left out of govt functions
14 Apr 2021 at 06:38hrs | Views
OPPOSITION MDC Alliance and MDCT councillors in Beitbridge have raised concern over their exclusion from government programmes, especially when Cabinet ministers are visiting the border town.
The opposition councillors were not included on a scheduled tour of the border town by National Housing minister Daniel Garwe and Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs minister Abednico Ncube on Friday to access civil servants' living conditions
"Why should they politicise a government programme? Excluding the Beitbridge mayor and his team in events happening in the areas of their jurisdiction is a clear sign of politicising government programmes," ward 3 councillor Takavingei Mahachi said.
"This project is being implemented within the Municipality of Beitbridge and the mayor should be recognised. Government programmes should not be politicised.
"This system of politicising everything has killed our country. Whoever drafted this programme must stop it."
Recalled ward 4 councillor Granger Nyoni said it was likely that government wanted another huge piece of land in Beitbridge before finishing the construction of the flats and houses which it started in 2006.
Garwe and Ncube are expected to tour an area set aside for development of 400 housing units for civil servants in the border town.
A medical doctor dispatched to the border town recently lives in a COVID-19 quarantine area, while another one lives in a sub-standard rented house.
Dozens of nurses share rooms in old, poorly-ventilated nurses' homes, while others live in side wards at their workplace.
One junior civil servant owns two houses while a regional magistrate, two provincial magistrates, an area prosecutor and several policemen and prison officials do not have accommodation.
Garwe and Ncube's visit to Beitbridge is also expected to speed up the completion of six metres of a sewer line that has stalled the allocation of 26 civil servants' houses that have been lying idle for the past 10 years.
The opposition councillors were not included on a scheduled tour of the border town by National Housing minister Daniel Garwe and Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs minister Abednico Ncube on Friday to access civil servants' living conditions
"Why should they politicise a government programme? Excluding the Beitbridge mayor and his team in events happening in the areas of their jurisdiction is a clear sign of politicising government programmes," ward 3 councillor Takavingei Mahachi said.
"This project is being implemented within the Municipality of Beitbridge and the mayor should be recognised. Government programmes should not be politicised.
"This system of politicising everything has killed our country. Whoever drafted this programme must stop it."
Garwe and Ncube are expected to tour an area set aside for development of 400 housing units for civil servants in the border town.
A medical doctor dispatched to the border town recently lives in a COVID-19 quarantine area, while another one lives in a sub-standard rented house.
Dozens of nurses share rooms in old, poorly-ventilated nurses' homes, while others live in side wards at their workplace.
One junior civil servant owns two houses while a regional magistrate, two provincial magistrates, an area prosecutor and several policemen and prison officials do not have accommodation.
Garwe and Ncube's visit to Beitbridge is also expected to speed up the completion of six metres of a sewer line that has stalled the allocation of 26 civil servants' houses that have been lying idle for the past 10 years.
Source - newsday
