Maravi

(HERALD) Amend Urban Councils Act

Amend Urban Councils Act

IN the last few months, some councillors in the Harare City Council have been in the news almost everyday where they have been embroiled in cases of illegally grabbing houses from tenants. As a result, the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Ignatius Chombo instituted a commission of inquiry into the illegal evictions.

We are glad that the team investigating the evictions of residents from council properties has recommended an immediate end to all expulsions by municipal officials and councillors.

The probe team has also called for disciplinary action against all those who flouted council regulations to acquire the houses.

However, before any action is taken the minister has set up another board of inquiry to give the accused an opportunity to respond to the allegations.

We await the outcome of that inquiry as well. We, however, feel what has been happening in the city council is tantamount to corruption.

All those senior officials who have been sanctioning the evictions should also face the music. It’s a fact that a councillor on his own cannot process the eviction paper work.

All unprocedural property allocations to councillors and officials should be reversed and evicted residents should retain possession of the houses pending an audit of all council rented accommodation.

Once completed, the process should leave the local authority in a position to carry out its functions in accordance with the dictates of the Urban Councils Act.

It is also in this context that we agree with the investigating team that the Urban Councils Act should be amended to introduce minimum educational and property qualifications for all aspiring councillors. This would help fight whatever corruption is being contemplated.

The Government on its part, has shown its seriousness to nip this scourge in the bud by not only setting up a ministry specifically geared to fight corruption but has also set up an anti-corruption commission.

Admittedly, the ministry and the commission, on their own cannot deal with the scourge unless those in leadership positions are made accountable through strict adherence to a code of ethics.

While the constitution should be the first place to stipulate a code on leaders, the current constitution is silent on the behaviour expected of councillors and all other leaders as most of the sections simply outline titles, tenure and duties of office bearers.

Several countries in the Sadc region have incorporated leadership codes in their constitutions. Zimbabwean society, for all its conservatism is too lenient with morally reprehensible behaviour by some in leadership, yet in the morally liberal so-called Western democracies that accept all manner of abominable behaviour, leaders may even lose their seats over things like adultery.

We therefore call on the powers-that-be to take this opportunity and incorporate into the yet-to-be written constitution a clause for accountability for all those aspiring for public office especially our councillors.

That can help deal with the rot in our councils.

Labels: COUNCILS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, URBAN COUNCILS ACT (ZIMBABWE)

posted by MrK @ 10:31 PM