Harare Mayor Cllr Jacob Mafume says there is need for collaboration among stakeholders in order to advance devolution implementation.
Speaking at the Local Governance Policy Dialogue Forum held in Harare yesterday, Mayor Mafume called stakeholders to put aside their political different and work for the development of communities.
“We must work together, there is a time for elections and there is a time to work together and this is the time to work together. Then when election time comes, we must check records to see what they have achieved but for the mean time let’s work together. Flow and stench of raw sewerage (in the communities) affects everyone irrespective of your political inclination. Let’s build our city together because it belongs to all of us,” said Mafume
Combine Harare Residents Association (CHRA) executive director Reuben Akili echoed Mayor Mafume’s sentiments, highlighting the need to move away from polarization for the betterment of Harare.
“One of the challenges that we face from our communities is polarization and this has been there for the past 30 years and I think it’s time to move away from that and this has been our call. We need to come together and work for the development of our cities. We call for harmony between the local authority and the central Government and we also implore the people in communities and are from different political parties to work together for Harare Metropolitan. It’s commendable that the Mayor highlighted the need to work together and together we will be able to ensure that devolution goes the way which will ensure development,” Akili said.
The dialogue comes at a crucial time when there is a need to accelerate devolution implementation for the betterment of local communities.
Both Mayor Mafume and Akili emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration among all stakeholders for the successful implementation of devolution and the development of Harare Metropolitan.
The forum concluded with a commitment from all stakeholders to work together towards the advancement of devolution, ensuring that the benefits reach all communities, regardless of political affiliation.
