ZRP this week together with Masvingo City Council arrested 5 activists who had come to hand in their petition to the council over a 500% rates hike, Newsday reports.
According to the publication, 2 of the activists were released without charge, but the other three, Tamutswa Chikonyora, Leeroy Taylor and Esther Thomu were detained at Masvingo Central Police Station.
The petition that was handed over to MCC by the activists which all belonged to the Masvingo Residents Forum reads in part according to the publication:
We are here today, to peacefully submit our grievances to the MCC due to the fact that our local leaders here dismally failed the residents.
MCC has failed to consult residents on matters of public interest. The local authority is doing things on its own without taking the public into consideration.This local authority has lost sight and vision of the residents.
The road network is in a sorry state despite that the MCC introduced and collected a roads levy from every household for road maintenance.This money has not been used for local road maintenance.
MCC collects parking fees again meant for road maintenance. Despite the introduction of the parking fee, potholes and washed away roads remain the order of the day.
ZRP and Masvingo City Council both still to comment on the issue. Meanwhile, Masvingo needs 3 billion to fix their roads which according to residents are now deplorable.
More: Newsday