HARARE, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- As the country's 24 political parties prepare for national elections in 2013, ordinary Zimbabweans are expecting better representation following five years of misdemeanor by some of the elected officials.
Several people interviewed by Xinhua agree that the integrity of local authorities and the legislature has been diminished by some councilors and legislators who use public office for personal gain.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party has had to dismiss the entire Chitungwiza Municipal Council and councilors in other towns for alleged corruption, while local government minister Ignatius Chombo has also suspended councilors caught on the wrong side of the law.
In the late 1990s, then local government minister John Nkomo fired the entire Harare City Council, which was predominantly Zanu- PF, for alleged corruption and replaced it with a commission.
Most of the corrupt activities in local authorities generally stem from the councilors' background. Some do not have houses and jobs and have connived with officials to evict tenants from council houses.
Some have even demanded commercial land, even though they do not have the capital to develop the stands.
Some Members of Parliament have also allegedly abused the Constituency Development Fund – a facility introduced by the Treasury to enable them to spearhead development projects in their constituencies – and face arrest.
"The councilor or MP I want is one who is not interested in personal gain, but one who is prepared to serve the people at all levels regardless of political or religious affiliation," said Mernard Mafura.
He said he had been disappointed by the current crop of councilors and legislators because some of them appeared to be more interested in personal gain than service delivery and ignoring the needs of the ordinary people who voted them into office.
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