Chamisa Rejects MDC, DA Comparisons

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa said local authorities controlled by his party are failing service delivery due to the harsh economic environment prevailing in the country and the central government’s interference.

Addressing party supporters who had gathered at Rufaro Stadium on Saturday for the party’s 20th Anniversary celebrations, Chamisa rejected comparisons drawn between the MDC and South Africa’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA). He said:

Our commitment is to make sure that we make a difference in the local authorities but here is the dilemma, you cannot do miracles in an environment where you are not able to have a stable macroeconomic environment.

They compare us with DA but DA has a conducive environment for them to perform and in our situation, the economy is not performing. All procurement is done by the central government. The issue of tenders is also done by the central government.

The DA controls most of South Africa’s major urban local authorities, among them, Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg.

Meanwhile, most urban councils in Zimbabwe are controlled by the MDC. However, urban service delivery has been deplorable over the past several years with Harare City Council failing to provide water for over 2 million inhabitants.

More: NewZimbabwe.com