Chombo’s double speak

Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo is fed up with incompetencies of Councillors 12 months in their jobs but nurtured the same if not worse incompetencies for 4 years because they were being exihibited by Zanu PF turncoat Commissioner Sekesai Makwavarara and her team

The Minister of Local Government Ignatius Chombo is seething with rage at the failure by local authorities to adhere to rules and regulations in executing their functions.

This comes to most of us as a welcome surprise except that we have no reason to believe the Minister’s rage is because there is maladministration in local authorities to any greater extent than has been the case over the lengthy 10 year tenure he has been at the helm of the Ministry.

Since taking over the Ministry in 2000 Ignatius Chombo has presided over the fastest decline in Local Authority performance in the country’s history.

When he took over at the Ministry Zanu PF had lost Harare Mayoral elections to the MDC and he was appointed with the brief to ensure the MDC would not get any political mileage from its control of the capital city and other urban areas.

He did not disappoint as he moved swiftly to seduce Sekesai Makwavarara the then Deputy Mayor under the efficient Elias Mudzuri who had in a space of six months of his election as Mayor of Harare not only managed to reverse the rot that had gripped the capital but had resurfaced and sealed all the potholes and craters that had been tolerated by the Mayorship of Solomon Tavengwa.

Ignatius Chombo did not only reward Elias Mudzuri’s efficiency with the boot but he also appointed Sekesai Makwavarara Acting Mayor of the capital city and all hell broke loose as service delivery in every facet of the local authority plummeted to mediocrity and in many cases extinction.

Water taps dried out, elephant grass grew along road verges and open areas obstructing motorist views. traffic lights at busy intersections stopped working, unplanned settlement shacks sprang up anywhere where there was space, refuse collection ceased and piles started to mount in alleys and in front of commercial properties and residences, municipal beer gardens started throwing a stench that passersby could not bear, council schools started dilapidating not to mention school furniture and teaching materials, health centers were not spared either as cleaning services stopped and medicines ran out.

And much more happened as street lights went off one by one until all streets were left in darkness as bulbs were not replaced, public toilets cleaning was abandoned while sewer blockages went unattended for ages likewise burst water pipes.
Dr Ignatius Chombo stood by her imposed Lady Mayor Makwavarara when everybody was crying foul at the deterioration in service delivery.

For a Minister like Chombo who has properties in the country that far outstrip what would be considered commensurate with the income that goes with the income of Ministers to accuse Councillors with nothing of corruption leaves a sour taste in the mouths of the citizenry at large.

It was only when Zanu PF bigwigs started baying for her head that Chombo was forced to abandon any thoughts of renewing her leadership of the Harare Commission that was appointed in the aftermath of the vindictive dismissal of Mudzuri by Chombo.

From 2004 to 2008 when Makwavarara was at the helm Chombo did not utter a single word about the inefficiency of the Harare City Council because it was him who had appointed the incompetent Commission in place of an accountable elected Council.

The direct involvement of Chombo in Local Authorities management was not limited to Harare but pervasive in all cities that had elected MDC Councils and the fate that befell Mudzuri also met the Mutare Masvingo and Gweru Mayors.

Any Minister who tolerated and defended the incompetence levels displayed Makwavarara and her Zanu PF imposed Commission for 4 years cannot be taken seriously when he complains about competency levels in local Authorities that have just had a year in office and are battling to come to terms with the effects of years of uninterrupted Zanu PF mismanagement.

Indeed there are numerous issues that need to be addressed before Local Authorities can be accepted as operating at levels that justify them levying rates and fees from the residence.

The extent of the rot is bad but nowhere near what it had degenerated into during the tenure of Zanu PF councilors.

We are tempted to believe that for Ignatius Chombo any significant improvement in service delivery is not worthy acknowledgement if the Counillors are from any other party than Zanu PF.

Are we to believe that the rural Councils under Zanu PF control are performing miracles in their areas that all have bad gravel road networks, no public conveniences at service centres, restricted clean water supplies from taps and are generally filthy and dusty?

The problem with Chombo is he does not want to see service improvement in all his accusations about Local Authority inefficiencies but rather he wants to create grounds for suspension and dismissal of the elected and accountable Councils to replace them with Zanu PF loyalists that would be accountable to none other than him for political expediency.