HARARE The Harare Residents Trust (HRT) have issued a statement expressing its deep concern over the events at Town House since the City Council adopted the 2009 City Budget against the residents objections. ( Pictured: The City of Harare)
While the council halved the 2009 City Budget, the rates remain beyond the reach of the majority citizenry, the statement read. The HRT were responding to their residents reactions to the breakdown of basic service provisions such as: burst sewer pipes, repair of leaking water pipes, refuse collection, street lighting, road maintenance, customer relations at Town House and District offices, transparency and accountability of elected councillors and city officials.
The main issues of concern raised in the statement were the inconsistent billing system, payment for non-available services like refuse collection, infrastructure development, the non-disclosure of the procedures for obtaining title deeds to residents, the secrecy around the breakdown in expenditure by Town House on service provision, staff remuneration and administration costs. The absence of clearly defined monitoring mechanisms for the implementation of councils decisions/resolutions by city employees was also a serious cause for concern.
The HRT also commented on the spending of council resources on non-priority luxuries like the purchase of top of the range vehicles for the bureaucrats at Town House. While we appreciate the efforts by the authorities to competitively remunerate senior staff, this unflinching desire for flamboyance is unacceptable. Failure to listen to residents, a major stakeholder in local authorities administration violates best practices in democratic and accountable governance, the statement read.
Post published in: World News