The opposition MDC Alliance (MDC-A) says the country’s current economic challenges are making it difficult for urban residents and businesses to meet their financial obligations to councils.
In a post on Twitter, MDC-A deputy national spokesperson, Clifford Hlatywayo said the situation demands that the central government provides safety nets for citizens. Said Hlatywayo:
ZANU PF has made the economy to collapse and unemployed stakeholders cannot meet the obligations to councils.
Corporate stakeholders are also unable [to meet their obligations] because they are not making money.
In other jurisdictions, the central government would have come in with safety nets to enable socioeconomic dynamics to continue.
The broke illegitimate government, brought to its knees by corruption and incompetence, is unable to intervene.
Hlatywayo also blamed the Ministry of Local Government for interfering with local authorities, saying it makes it difficult for them to raise revenue.
Central government officials have of late been firing salvos at MDC-A-controlled councils, accusing them of incompetence and corruption.
But Hlatywayo belives it is counterproductive to vilify councils without addressing grand corruption at central government level. He added:
Severe central government interference, revenue streams strangulation and other machinations are at the centre of current service delivery challenges.
Rather than targeting councils, who are also victimized, we should remove the kleptocracy that has turned the jewel of Africa into a basket case.