Charamba Calls For State Takeover Of Harare Municipal Administration
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, has said the State should take over the municipal administration of Harare following the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) dominated council’s failure to perform its duties.
The Harare City Council is struggling to collect garbage and to provide clean water to residents, amid a cholera outbreak in the city which has killed scores.
As a result, the central government had to step in and collect garbage, clean city environments, and drill boreholes to provide supplementary water to residents.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Charamba said infighting within CCC has paralysed the local authority, therefore, the State should step in. Said Charamba:
With the paralysis which CCC infighting has wrought on the City of Harare, and given the raging cholera pandemic, it is about time (the) Local Government Minister approached His Excellency the President with the proposal to use Presidential Powers to bring Harare Municipality under direct State administration.
There is a good case now using the public health argument. The State is doing much of the work anyway!
CCC’s disputed interim secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu has recalled Harare city mayor Ian Makone, his successor Lovejoy Chitengu, and several other councillors, claiming that they have ceased to be members of the party.
Reports indicate that Jacob Mafume, who took over from Chitengu, was recalled by CCC leader Nelson Chamisa.
Tshabangu is, however, resisting Mafume’s recall, and the matter awaits determination by either the courts or the central government.
In previous cases, the court and the central government have consistently sided with Tshabangu.
More: Pindula News
