Harare residents are calling on the government to get Harare out of the political control of Robert Mugabe’s government, so that it can continue its operations as an independent authority as the constitution stipulates.
The call (introduced a year earlier by Matebeleland ‘Mthwakazi’ people who are demanding the same of their regions) by the residents comes in the wake of the Government’s continued frustration of the City of Harare council’s operations which have seen the repeated suspension of the mayor.
The government played a “Jacob Zuma” on Harare Mayor Councillor Ben Manyenyeni reinstating him to work from suspension and then soon afterwards suspending him again within 24 hours much to the fury of the residents.
Residents speaking to ZimEye.com demanded government to immediately remove the capital city from Robert Mugabe’s governance accusing ZANU PF of frustrating service delivery to promote partisan political agendas.
A resident of Budiriro Washington Kutana told ZimEye.com that they are prepared to demonstrate and demand government out of Harare if they continue frustrating council work.
“If government continues doing this to council we are prepared to meet them on the streets and kick them out of Harare and run the city on our own,” he said.
Harare Residents Trust director Precious Shumba told Voice of America’s Studio 7 that government was deliberately frustrating council’s efforts on political grounds and residents were increasingly concerned.
The same sentiments were echoed by the director of the Combined Harare Residents Association, Simbarashe Moyo who said that residents of Harare were fed up with the government’s antics and will soon demand for ‘a hands off the city from government’.
The Ministry of Local Government has been fighting with the Harare City Council over the appointment of the Town Clerk which resulted in the suspension of the mayor.
The mayor was reinstated yesterday after forty five days out of office. Within only a few hours into office the Ministry sent the mayor back on suspension allegedly for refusing to investigate corruption in the council’s operations.