MDC-T Bulawayo provincial organising secretary Albert Mhlanga on Friday called on Bulawayo State minister for Provincial Affairs Eunice Sandi-Moyo to engage them saying they were the “ruling” party in the city. NDUDUZO TSHUMA STAFF REPORTER
MDC-T won all constituencies in the National Assembly elections on July 31 and council wards in Bulawayo.
Speaking during a meeting between Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo and councillors at the Bulawayo City Council chambers, Mhlanga said they had seen Sandi-Moyo engaging many people but not them.
“We would like to urge Sandi-Moyo to engage us so we know how we could work together.
“We have seen her in the media engaging other ministers, but she has never engaged us. We should remember that here in Bulawayo we are the ruling party. In Harare you might run things from Jongwe House (Zanu PF headquarters), but it is different here,” Mhlanga said to cracks of laughter from the house.
“These councillors here listen to us from the party and if we do not engage each other, there will be problems.”
Sandi-Moyo, in response, said the engagement had to be two-way with Chombo warning MDC-T that it should not interfere with the implementation of government policies by local authorities.
Chombo said the Bulawayo council, despite being dominated by MDC-T, was an extension of the government which prescribes policies to council to implement.
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“The government formulates policies of which I am the spokesperson to the local authorities. You should know that when it comes to policy like service delivery, housing and water delivery, the local authorities have to implement (government decisions).
“We all want to progress. I doubt if Sandi-Moyo would come to Harare to work against Bulawayo. She shares the same vision with you and you should have after her appointment, approached her and discussed how you would work (together),” Chombo said.
He commended the level of interaction at the meeting saying such discussions would bring about development.
Chombo called on more interactions between local legislators, councillors and Sandi-Moyo saying that way local authorities would get their issues heard in the government.
