By Wisdom Mumera.
Harare, Zimbabwe. (News Of The South) -Harare West House of Assembly representative Jessie Majome has now amassed nearly 400 signatures in her fight with Saviour Kasukuwere, the Minister of Local Government whom she accuses of bullying the Harare City Council.
Titled Hands-Off Harare the petition, which now has 377 signatures, seeks for a number of things to be done in Harare foremost being the discontinued use of an obsolete Urban Council’s Act by the Minister to get involved in the day-to-day affairs of Harare City Council.
This has lately resulted in the suspension of Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni by Kasukuwere on the grounds that he installed a new Town Clerk through wrong channels.
“We the undersigned ratepayers and residents of Harare are dismayed by the continued interference by the Ministry of local government in the affairs of Harare Council which in so doing is breaching Section 264(2) (a) of the Constitution”.
Saviour Kasukuwere
“Outraged more so by the Minister’s blatant and unconstitutional attempt to veto the duly elected council’s process of hiring a new town clerk”.
“Annoyed by the fact that the Ministry is still using sections of the Urban Councils Act which are ultra vires the Constitution and therefore void”.
“Disappointed that three years later, the Minister of Local Government is yet to bring replacements to the Urban Councils Acts and other Acts which affect local governance to Parliament so as to align the laws with the Constitution” reads the complaints.
As measures towards the ending of these issues, the petition spells out a number of solutions.
“We therefore petition the Minister of Local Government to right now allow the ratepayers and residents of Harare to exercise their powers as guaranteed by section 264 of the Constitution to make, through their legitimately elected Harare City Council decisions that affect them”.
“As a matter of urgency to bring to Parliament legislation to replace the Urban Council’s Act so that the local governance is aligned with the new Constitution”.
“Instead of undermining local authorities by interfering with their decisions, actually give them policy and financial support such as ensuring they receive the 5% of the national budget that section
301(3) of the Constitution entitles them to”, it says. Kasukuwere has been accused of fighting turf wars with the mainly MDC council but has rebutted the allegations charging that he is merely out to foment order.
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