FORMER Harare mayor Muchadeyi Masunda has bemoaned the collapse of service delivery in Harare.
Masunda served as Harare mayor from 2008 to 2013.
In an interview with ZiFM Stereo, Masunda said the city had registered a lot of failures over the years.
“There has been deterioration, I must say,” he said.
“And as a result, to give you an example, some of the things that have died an unnatural death is the Harare Mayor’s Cheer Fund.
“The momentum in respect of the Harare Mayor’s Cheer Fund has been lost completely.”
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Harare council battles a myriad of service delivery challenges with residents going for days without water.
The central business district is an eyesore because of litter.
Over the years, cholera has become endemic with critics blaming city fathers for poor service delivery resulting in outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
Amid the poor service delivery, reports of grand corruption involving city fathers and management have dogged the city over the years.
“It’s a crying shame. It’s really sad,” Masunda said.
“And all hope is not lost, actually, because I'm still very hopeful. I'm an eternal optimist, you know.”
Government recently appointed a commission of inquiry to investigate governance affairs and other matters concerning the running of the city.
“A good starting point is for an appreciation on the part of not only the incumbent councillors because one thing they have is the courage to lift their hands and say, I'm here, I am available to serve the people,” Masunda said.
“But once they are in there, they need to be assisted, you know, to get a keen grasp of what it is that needs to be done.
“But we need to find a way of bridging the gap, as it were.”