Be exemplary: aspiring councillors told

Nqobile Ngwenya 

Urban and rural aspiring councillors have been urged to be examplary and clear their utility bill arrears  if the electorate must take them seriously in the forthcoming harmonised  elections expected later this year.

 This was said by the ZANU (PF)  Secretary  for the Commissariat in Hwange Cde Alderman Elias Muzamba during a meeting held in Hwange last week.

Muzamba expressed concern that some of the aspiring candidates  owe the municipality a lot of money in unpaid bills for various utilities.  He implored all local authority aspirants  to lead by example and pay their bills and rates at their respective local authorities so that they become role models.

“To all primary election-winning council candidates the message for you is to go and clear all local authority arrears such as water bills, dip tank tax, cattle tax. Just clear everything that is in your name before election time. We are done with primary elections and now we face the real adversary (CCC) so we need to be up to date and clean,” he said at the inter-district meeting.

The opposition  party has been dominant in the local authority dating back to 2000. Even though the opposition is expected to retain its control of the local authority,  the ruling party may have found a chink in the opposition’s armour to exploit as opposition councillors have been accused of corruption by residents. According  to residents, the opposition  leadership  should listen to their concerns regarding retaining councilors who have fallen out with them.

The sentiments of Alderman  Muzamba were echoed by Nemananga ward headman, Simon Mazhanga who called upon the electorate  to look at the credibility of the aspiring local authority  candidates  who can transform Jambezi community into  a commercial area.

” The electorate should peruse the personality of candidates and choose those who have  good track record.  We want Jambezi Center to be a commercial zone just like other business centers elsewhere in the country. Councilors  and Members of Parliament  should woo investors to help develop Jambezi,” said headman Mazhanga, adding that the community is against people who want to be voted into power and forget about their plight.

The headman pointed out that Siamwele diptank is dilapidated and nothing has been done about it for sometime now and he urged the electorate  to look for a person who can help give the local amenities a face-lift. 

“Some people are not  paying the dipping tax and the local political leadership has not done anything about it. We want those canvassing for our votes to repair Siamwele Diptank before we decide whether to give them the job or not,” said the the traditional leaders.

 The traditional leaders Act 29:15 , s12(1)(j) as read with the Rural District Councils Act 29:13 mandates the traditional authorities to ensure that taxes to do with development are paid by locals. However, the Urban Councils Act 29:15 is silent on the issue of rates clearance as a pre- requisite to be retained by the electorate as a councilor.

The country is set to hold harmonised elections this year and expectations are high among residents in constituencies on the developmental issues.