The Sunday Mail
Edmore Ndudzo
The Herald of August 28, 2015 reported that “Councilors functionally illiterate: Mayor”.
Harare mayor councilor Bernard Manyenyeni is spot on. Below is my detailed tale of my own experiences, perspectives and suggestions, on the matter.
The Herald story said:
Harare Mayor Councilor Bernard Manyenyeni
(1) The majority of Harare councillors lack essential skills and do not have reasonable educational qualifications to ensure the smooth and successful running of council;
(2) The mayor’s sentiments echo those of his predecessor, Cllr Masunda, who also bemoaned the poor calibre of councillors and lack of skills in engineering, town planning and finance;
(3) Successive MDC-T-dominated councils presided over chaos in Harare, manifest in flagrant disregard of by-laws, proliferation of illegal and unplanned settlements, the kombi and pirate taxi menace, as well as vendor problem;
(4) There is a justified belief that many MDC-T councillors are of questionable or low education standards, with some being of no fixed abode, to the extent of having to bath at Town House;
(5) Cllr Manyenyeni said in 1927, Harare had two lawyers within its ranks of councilors, whereas 90 years later there is only one qualified lawyer among 2 000 councilors country-wide;
(6) There is need for inclusion on a non-partisan basis of individuals with requisite minimum skills critical to service;
(7) Cllr Manyenyeni suggested that no less than a third of councilos must have strong credentials in business, academia, law, engineering, finance and health, among other skills. When this is not achieved or achievable through electoral processes, then modalities for accommodating such skills must be found;
(8) The mayor advised political parties to start scouting for suitable councillors ahead of the 2018 elections;
(9) The Mayor spoke of achieving World Class City status by 2025, and Harare had started by relocating vendors, removing illegal structures, improving road signage, and increasing water delivery capacity. He added that the city had embraced solar street lighting.
We have not heard the views of two other recent mayors, Makwavarara and Mudzuri, but I have no doubt in my mind they are generally in total agreement with Manyenyeni.
Talking from my own relatively long experience in the city, I am of the strong view that both Manyenyeni and Masunda hit the nail on the head.
I served the city from 1983 to 1993. I can, therefore, proffer contributions from an informed and well-grounded perspective.
When I joined council, as a relatively senior technocrat, the council was under the governance and management of the first elected post-Independence black-dominated leadership, guidance and control, of a relatively substantial number of high calibre, knowledgeable and enlightened, group of elected councillors of all races.
It had the likes of councillors Tizirai Gwata (the first black Mayor) and Timothy Stamps, who were fully qualified medical doctors; Mr S Chihambakwe and – if my memory serves me right – Mr Mkushi, both respected and renowned lawyers; Mr Oliver Chidawu, now an engineer; academic Mr Simon Chikwavaira; and the likes of Solomon Tawengwa, Tony Gara and Charles Tawengwa and others, who were all not only proficient in matters financial, but were, indeed, professionally qualified in their fields.
They also had fairly successful private businesses of their own.
These councillors had the intellectual capacity to make sound strategic decisions, one such notable decision being the “One City Concept”, as we were at the time emerging from a racially-managed local authority consisting of the rich white and affluent low-density and poor black high-density areas.
Most councillors’ primary objective was informed by their desire to serve a city they loved and leave a legacy for future generations – and not for financial benefit.
A very sound political orientation, enriched by liberation struggle values, made their judgement mature, dependable and wise.
We could only submit well thought-out, reasoned and researched recommendations to council and its committees.
There was a very good and healthy rapport, synchronisation and meeting of minds between the politicians (councillors) and professionals (technocrats).
I made a deliberate and conscious decision not to seek office in the political party of my choice and I was a mere card-carrying member despite having been very vocal and active during my university days.
I have only now, very recently for that matter, made the decision to be in the structures of the only political party I have ever supported.
At the time I left the City of Harare in 1993, I was proud to leave behind a comparatively well-run “Sunshine City”, but maybe not World Class City, depending of course on the definition of “world class”.
My main reason for leaving the city was because of my low basic salary, which was below the monthly mortgage repayment I had to meet after leaving the cheap council accommodation I enjoyed since moving from Bulawayo.
My financial situation was not sustainable going forward.
Compare and contrast that with what is happening now, were senior city staff earn mega salaries in US dollars, as has been reported.
It did not even cross my mind at the time I left to demand a “golden hand shake”, as now appears fashionable as an entitlement.
I surrendered the Peugeot 504 sedan I was using as my official council vehicle.
During my tenure as City Treasurer of Harare, there were certain aspects we honoured, valued, respected and held almost to the point of being sacrosanct.
One such was the policy that no superstructures (houses for example) were to be constructed before necessary water and electricity infrastructure was in place first.
This is the model we used with considerable success for all phases of Budiriro housing developments and some phases of Kuwadzana housing development.
We also respected and complied without fail to the City’s Master Plan and Town Planning and other by-laws.
Compare and contrast with what is now prevailing: unplanned and unserviced settlements sprouting all over, non-existent or unreliable water supplies, uncollected garbage, unlit streets, etc.
To cap it all, we now have a horrible road network littered with potholes.
Our councilors are predominantly immature, confused job-seekers who are prone to corruption, of no obvious or sound political orientation or disposition, who came in office with flawed mindsets.
They are mostly out to make a quick buck and know they cannot stay the course to Aldermanship as was previously the case.
Admittedly, during my time there were cases of corruption but these were few and far between. The present crop has scaled new heights in frequency and prevalence of corruption.
The few cases of corruption back then were swiftly, effectively and severely dealt with.
I remember a whole Zanu-PF council being disbanded at the very first occurrence of water shortages in Mabvuku and Tafara.
These water shortages persist in these areas to this very day, when the solutions where long diagnosed.
The pervasive and widespread corruption, unbridled greed and indiscipline of councillors have spread to the senior technocrats and their subordinates. It is now free for all.
Hence you hear of mega salaries and allowances to senior staff members while juniors go months without being paid. Statutory obligations are ignored as a matter of routine.
Although I have zeroed in on Harare, the situation in Bulawayo, which city I worked in coming from the then University of Rhodesia, bears close resemblance in most respects to that of the capital.
The scenario in all other cities, towns and municipalities is generally the same. It is, however, not as hopeless as it seems and certainly is not beyond redemption.
The following are a few suggestions to remedy the appalling situation:
(a) Procedurally disband and/or dissolve all urban councils and replace them with interim commissions. A good start has already been initiated in Gweru. The Minister of Local Government should go the whole hog without further delay in the national interest. For the guidance of the commissions, a simple but comprehensive strategic plan should be urgently crafted.
(b) Staff the commissions with retired, appropriately skilled and experienced commissioners, of good repute, who can spare their time and devote almost full-time work for the duration of their legal tenur. A major priority is that where illegal settlements are in existence, the necessary infrastructure be put in place. In future, the requisite infrastructure comes ahead of the superstructures. Always!
Unavoidable causalities’ should be settled elsewhere.
Commissioners should harmonise policies and programmes with Zim-Asset.
For Harare, in particular, we should re-energise and re-activate long-term strategic plans of over 20-year periods, which we crafted before I left council, specifically for water, sewage and energy.
(c) Land barons and other corrupt people should face the full wrath of the law. These should be made accountable, even in retrospect, for financial misconduct as defined in the Public Finance Management Act.
(d) Elections for all urban councils should be held whenever legally due, with the hope of getting suitable candidates voted into office. We should not lose sight, however, of the major shortcomings in the democratic processes, which have existed since time immemorial in that they only result in election of popular people who in some cases are not necessarily the ideal candidates.
Some ex-commissioners may also be in a position to offer themselves as candidates.
There is also merit, in my view, in the notion that at local government level, councilors should be non-partisan, a concept that needs further interrogation.
(e) If the electoral process does not produce the desired result in terms of skills mix, the existing legal clauses for Special Interest Councillors should be expanded or taken advantage of.
(f) Embark in earnest, to recruit enthusiastic, academically qualified and professionally inclined people who want to make a career of public service.
Edmore Ndudzo was the first black City Treasurer of the City of Harare. He is a chartered accountant and certified public accountant by profession, and writes in his personal capacity and in the national interest
Harare mayor brews new storm – NewZimbabweOnline
Harare mayor councilor Bernard Manyenyeni is embroiled in a new storm over allegations that he this week made more disparaging remarks against fellow councilors regarding their qualifications.
A few months ago Cllr Manyenyeni had to call on the support of MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai after a group of councillors enraged by his comments instituted a no-confidence vote against him
On Thursday, another opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party led by Mr Tendai Biti, waded into the storm, calling the mayor to order.
“The People’s Democratic Party strongly condemns the continued public attacks of democratically-elected Harare councillors by the city’s mayor, Ben Manyenyeni,” the party said in a statement.
“For the second time in less than two months, Manyenyeni, on Tuesday, attacked the councillors for lacking basic professional qualities. His attacks are causing unnecessary conflicts between him and the city’s fathers at the expense of better service delivery to the residents.”
According to the PDP, Cllr Manyenyeni made the remarks during an address to senior security officials.
The mayor allegedly “claimed that the council is in need of professionals such as lawyers and engineers as elected councillors miss the basic facts”.
“It is Manyenyeni’s duty to ensure that the Town House is staffed with competent people who are employed along non-partisan lines to assist in implementing the vision and the resolutions of the city fathers,” said Mr Biti’s party.
“It is highly regrettable that Manyenyeni purports to be a social democrat when in fact he is an unrepentant capitalist. As a social democrat, as Manyenyeni claims to be, he should not attack councillors unnecessarily in public, but should work hard in ensuring that the skills of the councillors are upgraded to meet the day-to-day demands of council business.
“As the PDP, we are not saying lawyers, engineers or other professionals should contest in local government elections but that it is a competent and highly skilled technical staff that ensures that better service delivery is provided to all the residents of Harare.” – New Zimbabwe Online
