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Harare needs an executive mayor: Manyenyeni

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HARARE mayor Bernard Manyenyeni (pictured) has challenged residents and other stakeholders to lobby government to ensure his successor be given executive powers if the city is to achieve its ambitious plan to attain world class status by 2025.

HARARE mayor Bernard Manyenyeni has challenged residents and other stakeholders to lobby government to ensure his successor be given executive powers if the city is to achieve its ambitious plan to attain world class status by 2025.

BY MUNESU NYAKUDYA

Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni
Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni

Manyenyeni made the remarks last week during a vending alternative policy conference organised by Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET).

“The crisis that we have in Zimbabwe does not want a mayor who is not an executive one; we need an executive mayor who can make things happen. I cannot change it myself because when I came into the office I found it like that,” he said.

“Stakeholders have got a mandate to change that so that next mayor who comes after me can be an executive mayor. Not to wait for the full council meeting after a lot of procedures. Some things need to be dealt with there and there without wasting so much time.

“When things are not okay like this we need a mayor who has powers not just a mayor who stays time in his office and waits to read full council meeting minutes. If things are as bad as they are now there is no reason to wait for a full council resolution,” he added.

Manyenyeni also hailed VISET for coming up with a policy for vendors, and promised that the city council will look at it and will make adjustments if there is need.

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Small to Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development chairperson Dorothy Mangami urged VISET to work with the ministry and the council to come up with one policy.

“You cannot have your own policy. You should work with the city of Harare to come up with one thing. Sit down with them and highlight what you don’t want and come up with one thing.

“I also want to encourage you to avoid politics in your forums because it distorts everything,” Mangami added.

The VICET proposed national policy for urban street vendors highlighted issues to do with regulatory process, relocation and rehabilitation, legislation and required interventions among other things.