Zimpapers Logo

Yeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent
The Chitungwiza and Manyame Rural Residents Trust (Camera) has urged Government to assist local authorities to access foreign currency and fuel to deliver adequate services to ratepayers. Camera director Mr Marvellous Khumalo said the intervention of Government would assist in changing the situation.

“The prevailing situation in the country is impacting negatively on the quality of service offered by most local authorities,” he said.

He said most council clinics were experiencing drug shortages due to lack of foreign currency.

“Owing to foreign currency shortages, councils and their clinics are failing to procure basic drugs for primary healthcare treatments.

“Water treatment chemicals are also beyond the reach of many local authorities as a result of foreign currency shortages,” said Mr Khumalo.

He said most councils were also failing to collect garbage and attend to faults due to fuel challenges.

“Some council refuse collection fleets and utility vehicles are grounded at the moment due to foreign currency shortages as some are failing to access enough foreign currency to purchase spare parts for servicing utility vehicles that are critical in improving the state of social service delivery.

“Council refuse collection trucks and other utility vehicles are spending hours queuing for fuel at the expense of service delivery. It is us residents and ratepayers who are then short-changed in the process as minimum standards of service delivery are failed to be met,” he said.

Mr Khumalo said it was unfortunate that other local authorities were now using the challenges to mask their shortcomings.