12-15-05, 8:45 am
As Zimbabwe's capital city Harare is the world's window to the country it is now a showcase of President Robert Mugabe's failure to run the government, says the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. The capital is being run by a commission following the suspension of all councillors and the Mayor who were all from the opposition, MDC. Water is frequently cut off because of reduced pumping capacity due to lack of spares, and when it is available, the water can cause illness because of poor purification, also due to lack of foreign currency to buy the necessary chemicals.
Traffic lights no longer work; roads are in a permanent state of disrepair and sanitary lanes have filled up with uncollected rubbish, which was deplored by the MDC new spokesman, Parliamentarian Nelson Chamisa.
The youthful MP said public amenities, neighbourhood parks, park benches and rest havens for senior citizens, swimming pools, libraries and ablution facilities and public conveniences had long collapsed – many of them beyond repair, which he said Mugabe's ruling Zanu (PF) and his Local Government Minister Ignitious Chombo should be held responsible for. His statement was issued today following the decision by the Zanu (PF) government to extend the life of the commission instead of calling for elections of new councillors and a mayor. Minister Chombo suspended councillorsnd dismissed Engineer Elias Mudzuri, the last democratically elected mayor of Harare, but four years later no reasons have been given.
'It is common cause that Harare has become an extremely dangerous place to live in. Burst sewers disgorge raw contents onto the streets and remain unattended to for months. The quality of the water has deteriorated to a level where residents escape disease by sheer luck. 'Harare's decay reflects and mirrors a deepening national crisis of governance and a serious political emergency, with roots firmly stuck in a 25-year Zanu PF culture of patronage and misrule,' nsaid Chamisa Other signs of the the city's deterioration are that the Harare Sheraton ran out of running water during an international confrerence, forcing guests to go without bathing and the international Sheraton franchise organisation to withdraw its franchise from the hotel. Chamisa said Engineer Mudzuri and his council could have cleaned up the city had it not been for Minister Chombo’s constant interference in local government. 'Undaunted and without shame, Chombo has moved into Chitungwiza, Mutare, Chegutu and other cities, leaving a trail of destruction and mayhem – simply because these urban centres are in the hands of the MDC councils,' he said. A much touted about Harare City Council turnaround strategy has failed to materialise, but this is the pretext under which Makwavarara and her associates have had their appointment extended. 'No turn around strategy is possible either locally or at a national level without embracing a radical paradigm shift in the way Zimbabwe is governed... We need food and jobs. We need to create an investor-friendly climate to strengthen our revenue base. We need to revive commerce and industry and to re-join the international community. We must respect people’s basic political and human rights. We must restore our dignity and self-esteem,' said Chamisa.
He urged Harareans to reclaim Harare and demand that Zanu (PF) and Minister Chombo explain the extension of the Commission’s mandate to the people of Harare and account for imposing their favoured Commission when nothing stops the government from granting political space to the people of Harare by allowing them to elect their own leaders.
