By-President Emmerson Mnangagwa has ignored rape allegations levelled against him by Susan Mutami, and instead attacked the opposition for what he called failure to provide service delivery in Harare.

Mutami, Monday opened a rape case against Mnangagwa in Australia.

But Mnangagwa who was burying the late Harare provincial minister Oliver Chidawu deliberately ignored to comment on his rape allegations and chose to attack the opposition.
Mnangagwa attributed the sorry state of affairs in Harare and other urban areas to corruption amongst opposition councillors.
Mnangagwa said Harare under Mayor Oliver Chidawu delivered quality public goods and services adding that the current crop of politicians in the capital has reversed the gains recorded when Chidawu was Mayor.
Chidawu was elected Harare Mayor at the age of 29 in 1984.

Since the turn of the millennium, most urban councils have fallen into the hands of the opposition.
They have been a battleground between the ruling ZANU PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and now Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
The opposition accuses the ruling party of interfering with the affairs of the local government authorities to incapacitate the councils so that the blame would be put on the opposition.

On the other hand, Zanu PF argues that through the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, the central government will only be exercising its oversight role.
What remains a fact is that there is poor service delivery in local government authorities nationwide.
Some analysts say poor service delivery in local government authorities mirrors the state of the economy at a national level.