By Bernard Manyenyeni
- Problems are not “emerging”!
There have been there since March 2013 when the Minister approved unsustainable salaries to HCC employees and 4 months later in July 2013 wrote off over 2 years’ worth of revenue.
The sum total of the two crippling decisions was over 800m USD.
(Chisi hachiyeri musi wacharimwa!)
We stepped into council in September 2013 served until July 2018.
- Harare City Council- like any other public institution- operates on what I termed ‘SERVICE DECEIVERY’ basis.
It is the promise or expectation of service delivery when the factors on the ground clearly point otherwise.
- Most service delivery demands, promises and analyses are defective, uninformed and illiterate.
I have always said if Council does not fix big things it will be embarrassed by (or celebrated for) small things.
- Council must provide a clear indication of just SIX figures:
The total monthly revenue amount AND just the (CORRECT) top 5 monthly expenditure items.
That will be clear enough to tell where the adult demands and promises are.
- The salary debate will not go far because both management and councillors are compromised in the matter.
In search of governance excellence only those whose relatives are not employed in Council can make objective decisions about council employment costs.
- The unfinished political debate about who RUNS urban councils rings on.
In part answer to that debate I plead:
“The MDCA must LEAD the MDCA-HELD councils and CONTROL them and be answerable”.
