Chamisa snaps at corrupt councillors for hiding behind Urban Councils Act

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CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) councillors allegedly rejected a transparency and accountability blueprint that would have tamed corruption in local authorities, former leader Nelson Chamisa has said.

The opposition politician said this when he appeared before the Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating governance issues at the City of Harare (CoH).

Chamisa poked holes into the Urban Councils Act, which he says impedes holding elected councillors accountable for their gross misgivings.

The former opposition leader said the councillors hide behind the legislation shielding shortcomings and preventing transparency in local authorities.

“In terms of the Urban Councils Act, there is nowhere individual citizens can actually have authority over the processes of council because council is a creature of statutes and council is a product of law.

“Anything that happens within the council is governed by statutes, laws and procedures within that council so any processes would be discharged by the council and not by political parties.

“Parties are not contemplated in the statutes in terms of the running of local authorities,” said Chamisa.

Chamisa said the councillors resisted the integrity mechanism under the guise of the Urban Councils Act.

“We attempted to actually institute what we called integrity and accountability panel from the political party side to try and rein in on councillors, who we felt were behaving in a untoward manner.

“Unfortunately as we did that they said look in terms of the law there is no way the party can take us to account on anything because we are not governed by party, we are governed by the electorate, we are governed by the statutes, we are governed by the Urban Councils Act, and on that scope it becomes very difficult to bring to account especially our councillors,” he said.

Opposition councillors particularly in Harare have been accused of corruption by engaging in underhanded activities involving land allocations.

Town House has come under scrutiny over massive graft prompting President Emmerson Mnangagwa to establish a probe team led by retired Justice Maphios Cheda.

Chamisa said that once elected to office, councillors go rogue neglecting their primary mandate.

“In fact, what bleeds my heart is the fact that each time councillors are elected on a party ticket, the moment they go into council, they go bonkers, run amok, throw away all dictates of reason, throw away all dictates of allegiance and loyalty to the party, which I can’t understand,” he said.