Suburban
Peter Tanyanyiwa Suburban Reporter
The Zimbabwe Combined Residents and Ratepayers Association (ZICORRA) has urged the City of Harare to find other channels to communicate issues with residents, which do not include the suspended/recalled councillors.
Of late, residents have been left with no option other than to turn to suspended/recalled councillors for answers on service delivery issues including in the ongoing budget consultations.
In an interview, ZICORRA Harare provincial chairperson Mr Lawrence Kuleya urged council to put in place effective communication channels.
He advised residents against dealing with suspended/recalled officials as some of the dealings or issues can be rendered null and void.
“We are surprised why a recalled councillor keeps being the avenue for communicating issues to residents, someone who can’t even represent residents in any capacity. This speaks volumes of our council systems where a lot of confusion is reigning supreme. Councils should find better ways of communicating to residents,” he said.
“Suspended/recalled councillors are not an efficient way of communicating to residents. What happened to mail and postal services or even flyers at district offices? Such important meetings like budget consultations need to be advertised properly and in time for all residents given the polarisation in many communities. Some residents find this kind of behaviour normal and those criticising this are seen as being against an individual or a party. But in reality, they never realise the problems these kinds of behaviours cause for residents themselves.”
Mr Kuleya said the battle between acting Mayor Stewart Mutizwa and suspended Mayor Jacob Mafume was also hindering council operations.
“We also have some who are fighting for positions at Town House, the situation where we have two Mayors is causing council to be at standstill. They are doing this because they have residents and others within council systems whom are supporting them. That doesn’t help at all because if someone is suspended or recalled they can’t represent residents in any way.
“Some residents are sometimes so blind as to follow false roads that lead to nowhere. They don’t realise that allowing recalled or suspended people to lead or be in the forefront of certain things or meetings especially those that need public office approval can render those initiatives or meetings null and void. We cannot do anything official with people who are not official,” argued Mr Kuleya.
