Yesterday , all Chitungwiza councilors and staffers who were attending ordinary full council were arrested. They were released without charge in the evening.

A couple of weeks ago, the Mayor of Chitungwiza was arrested on spurious charges and held in cells for more than 4 days . He was eventually granted bail one of whose conditions was to bar him from setting foot on council premises.

At the same time, the deputy Mayor and four other councilors were recalled and arrested on fabricated charges of criminal abuse of office.

In Harare, the same pattern of events , was being witnessed. At a full council, all councilors were arrested and released without charges. The Mayor, Advocate Mafume was arrested and is being held in cells and repeatedly being denied bail.

In the meantime, members of staff also got arrested for criminal abuse of office. Even a director who got reinstated a week earlier was arrested for criminal abuse of office.

All what is happening in the Harare Metropolitan councils is a sad attack not only local governance but also on the will of the people who voted for the MDC Alliance councilors. We know that ED and Zanu Pf are angry that the people of Harare have consistently rejected them and it is for this reason that they are being punished.

Local government in Harare has been rendered dis functional through the twin strategy of illegal recalls and unnecessary arrests. ED and Zanu Pf are engineering failure in the local authorities with the hope that they can cause the people of Harare to be angry with the MDC Alliance. The effects of these choreographed activities will be felt for a very long time to come.

We call upon , The Provincial Minister, Mr Chidawu and his Provincial Coordinator, Mr Muguti who are the key drivers of the attack on councils to place people first ahead of political and personal economic opportunity .

The people of Harare Metropolitan deserve better, they want superior services , They demand that government stops interfering with the work of elected councils.

Sesel Zvidzai
Secretary for local Gvt and Rural Development