President warns councils against corruption President Mnangagwa

Innocent Ruwende Senior reporter
Government will not tolerate corruption and incompetence in local authorities as councils should be engines of local economic development and growth, President Mnangagwa has said. Addressing Zimbabweans who thronged the National Sports Stadium for his inauguration on Sunday, President Mnangagwa said his Government will not stand by and watch people suffer due to dereliction of duty by council officials.

“I, therefore, challenge local authorities in the Second Republic, to be the engines of local economic development and growth,” he said. “My Government will not stand by and watch people suffer due to dereliction of duty, corruption or incompetence within our local authorities.

“My administration will, therefore, expect public sector officials to deliver quality and timely services to the people as well as facilitate business, trade and investment. Bureaucratic bottlenecks, unnecessary delays, lethargic and corrupt activities will not be tolerated.”

President Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans should encourage and inculcate the culture of hard honest work, adding that the prosecution of perpetrators of corruption will be carried out without fear or favour.

In the Second Republic, he said, no person or entity will be allowed to steal, loot or pocket that which belongs to the people of Zimbabwe. President Mnangagwa said as per his pledge during the campaign trail, his Government will be implementing the Constitutional provisions with regards the devolution of Government powers and responsibilities.

He said provinces will now be expected to plan and grow their provincial economies.
President Mnangagwa said his Government will, in the next five years, accelerate industrialisation, modernisation and mechanisation, with greater emphasis on market driven policies.

He said Government will modernise major roads, airports, railways and border posts.
“Through modern infrastructure, we will connect Zimbabweans, to each other, to the region and to the world,” said President Mnangagwa.

“There is need for the modernisation and revamping of our social services sector to improve the efficiency and quality of service delivery. My Government will move speedily to refurbish and construct health, education and water and sanitation infrastructure. This is a promise we will deliver.” Deep-rooted corruption is stalling investment in many councils. Early this year, MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa admitted that corruption was rife in MDC-T led councils.

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