ZANU PF’S celebrations of the scrapping of outstanding bills by local authorities last Sunday were in bad taste considering that the move has left the Bulawayo City Council unable to pay workers, analysts said yesterday. CHIEF REPORTER
The Zanu PF leadership, led by national chairperson Simon Khaya Moyo, Bulawayo provincial chairperson Callistus Ndlovu, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Eunice Sandi-Moyo, politburo member former Matabeleland South governor Angeline Masuku and losing candidate in Makokoba Tshinga Dube held a party in the constituency to celebrate the cancellation of council debts, marked by feasting.
The debt cancellation celebrations came a day after the ruling party had thrown larger festivities in Gwanda to revel the party’s clean sweep of seats in Matabeleland South in the general elections.
Ironically, Matabeleland South is currently in the middle of a serious food crisis with thousands requiring food aid. While Khaya Moyo and his Zanu PF were busy partying in Gwanda, thousands of villagers in the province had gone for days without a meal.
Dumisani Nkomo, an activist and chief executive officer of the Christian-based Habakkuk Trust, said Zanu PF celebrations were in bad taste and showed that the party was inconsiderate of the burden it has placed on struggling local authorities.
“It’s in bad taste that a political party such as Zanu PF is seen celebrating the deterioration of service delivery,” he said. “Surely to have a party whose motive is to celebrate cancellation of debts indicates that Zanu PF is pleased that people are lowly paid and they rely on it to scrap the debts they should be paying.
“Service delivery is going down and it will affect everyone, including Zanu PF members.” Nkomo said the populist stance was meant to attract disgruntled residents to its ranks, but its effect would be the collapse of the city in delivering essential services.
Activist Godwin Phiri weighed in saying Zanu PF was canvassing for support by taking advantage of “temporary excitement” that had been created.
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“While it is clear that the move is a populist approach to capture the imagination of the poor earlier on before the next elections, it’s not sustainable in the long run,” he said.
“People might say the debt cancellation is crippling service delivery, but Zanu PF would be quick to say we have reduced the water burden by cutting down water rationing days. So it’s a tricky issue.”
