ED Warns Urban Councils Over Poor Service Delivery

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday warned incompetent local authorities that the government will in future enact legislation to deal with them.

President Mnangagwa issued the warning while addressing MPs, chiefs and senior Governments officials during a luncheon held by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to mark the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament. He said:

As central Government, we will not stand by and watch our people being unduly exposed to despicable living conditions where councils fail to meet their duties and obligations. We need in future to craft legislation to deal with such councils.

Service delivery in most urban councils had deteriorated alarmingly over the past few years with the local authorities failing to provide water and refuse collection services for ratepayers.

Recently, Harare City Council shut down Morton Jaffray, the city’s water treatment plant after it failed to mobilise financial resources for water treatment chemicals.

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