Local authorities flagged for poor service delivery

The International Republican Institute (IRI) said failure to deliver had contributed to a lack of trust between the public and local authorities.

IRI manager, Delta Sivalo, said there had been a sharp decline in service delivery over time.

“The importance of holding leaders accountable works in many ways, but in the Zimbabwean context you will notice that there has been a gradual decline in local services, particularly around issues of access to water, regular refuse collection and all these other services that are the mercy or the responsibility of local authorities (sic),” Sivalo told NewsDay on the sidelines of the launch of Supporting Information Integrity to Increase Local Governance Accountability Project.

“The inability of these leaders, or rather the limited nature in which these elected leaders have delivered, really has pushed citizens to the periphery of participating in local governance processes and democratic processes in general.”

Sivalo said citizens should hold their elected leaders to account.

“The importance of governance at local level plays a role in terms of connecting citizens to the services that they receive as far as water is concerned, refuse collection and also using and utilising spaces that are available to them to hold leaders accountable.”

Government recently appointed a commission of inquiry to investigate governance issues and other matters concerning the running of the City of Harare.-newsday