Sikhala accuses Zanu PF govt of sabotaging development in Chitungwiza

By Staff Reporter | Nehanda Politics |

Opposition MDC Alliance vice chairman and Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala has accused the Zanu PF government of sabotaging community developments in his constituency.

Speaking at an event to commission two borehole projects he funded in Zengeza 2 and Zengeza 5, Sikhala said the government had failed to construct a dam for Chitungwiza and vowed to lobby Parliament to ensure the project is implemented.

He said that several projects for the development of Chitungwiza were shot down even during the time of former Cabinet ministers, Saviour Kasukuwere and Ignatius Chombo.

“Chitungwiza relies on Harare for its water supplies, that is why potable water is so dear in our town,” Sikhala said.

“When (Ignatius) Chombo was still the Local Government minister, a private investor approached council to build a dam on a build-operate-and-transfer basis but the project was shot down.

“I have seen the documents and nothing changed when Saviour Kasukuwere took over from Chombo.”

Sikhala said he would lobby Parliament to investigate complaints he raised on the unprofessional conduct of certain council officials, who were derailing his projects in the constituency.

“Now some doctor called Kasu, a council official, has sabotaged my project to provide vendors with suitable vending stalls,” he said.

“This project is for residents, it is for the community and after its completion, it was going to be handed over to council, which was hoping to benefit from the rates paid by vendors.”

Joseph Zenda, a council official from the engineering department, who officiated at the event urged the government to provide a long-term solution to the water crisis in Chitungwiza by constructing a dam.

Town councils that are mostly run by the opposition have always been accused of poor service delivery. But the officials accused the government of interfering with their operations and sabotaging them.