Grace slams Marondera council

Source: Grace slams Marondera council – DailyNews Live

Helen Kadirire      3 June 2017

HARARE – First  Lady Grace Mugabe and Zanu PF youth league leader Kudzanai
Chipanga yesterday castigated Marondera council for fixing potholed roads
only because President Robert Mugabe was holding a rally in the town.

Speaking at the Zanu PF youth rally in Marondera, Grace said
rehabilitation of the town’s roads was supposed to be done, even when
Mugabe was not visiting the town.

She warned the local authority, which falls under Saviour Kasukuwere’s
Local Government ministry, to refrain from covering up its shortcomings by
window dressing when the president is holding events.

Ahead of Mugabe’s rally yesterday, Marondera Town Council embarked on an
extensive road rehabilitation and maintenance exercise.

“This business of fixing roads when the president is being expected in a
city should stop,” the first lady said.

“Roads should be fixed all the time and not when Mugabe is coming. We
should be seen to deliver on that not only when we are meeting,” she said,
adding that “when people voted for us we made numerous promises to deliver
on their expectations. We do not want to be seen to act only when we want
votes. It should be happening daily and not on occasions”.

Youth league chairperson Chipanga weighed in saying when word got around
that the rally had been moved by one day, the town council worked day and
night to create an impression that the roads were well maintained, yet
that was not the case.

“There were so any potholes in Marondera, however, when we said … Mugabe
is coming here they were patched immediately. People worked day and
night,” he said.

“However, my argument is where were these people all this time? Did they
not see the potholes before the rally was scheduled for Marondera? That
should not happen,” Chipanga said, adding “that is why we are saying in
the next council the youths are coming for those positions in council. No
councillor is safe”.

Meanwhile, local authorities have been complaining that since Zinara took
over road management funds collection, it has not been remitting enough
money to them, resulting in the poor state of the infrastructure.

Most of Zimbabwe’s roads have become unnavigable due to the heavy rains
that the country received in the 2016/17 season, prompting the Transport
ministry to declare a state of disaster.

In response to the plight, government – through the Emergency Road
Rehabilitation Programme – has so far raised $35 million to rehabilitate
the roads damaged by the rains.