Harare mayor Ben Manyenyeni has responded to an outcry over the menacing potholes that have caused angers to flare in Zimbabwe’s capital city.

Writing in a lengthy response seen by ZimEye.com in a political debate forum, mayor Manyenyeni said the problem lies solely on with the Robert Mugabe run road agency, ZINARA. Below was the post which ZimEye re-publishes in full:

1. The potholes have overwhelmed the city’s resources and I have spent the last few months persuading ZINARA for resources.

2. This work has become an unfunded mandate for nearly 7 years. That tells you the gap and may point to the number of years to a solution if correct funding resumes. For now it will be correct to advise that the road will get worse before they get better.

3. On behalf of council I have consistently sought to educate those in power and this who seek to know the truth that the responsibility and the resources must be in the same court.

4. Road maintenance follows road revenues NOT NEGOTIABLE.

5. Don’t despair good people – we have since had a MINISTERIAL interest in this crisis and they have promised PRESIDENTIAL intervention (citing at every opportunity “failure by City of Harare”).

6. Now that the messiahs (maybe “saviours” is a better word?) have landed in Harare our failure as council will be fixed.

7. They might also fix all the failure (by Harare City Council of course!) to repair all the badly dilapidated roads around the WHOLE COUNTRY.

8. There are times when there is simply nowhere to hide.