Local authorities urged to bring shine back to urban areas

Harare (New Ziana) – Urban local authorities have been urged to improve service delivery and ensure that the country’s urban centres regain long lost pride and lustre.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa made the call during his inauguration address at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on Monday soon after taking the oath of office to mark the beginning of his second five-year-term in office.

“Our citizens, especially those in urban areas have endured poor service delivery for far too long. Rate payers deserve hard working and competent local authorities who will ensure that our towns and cities regain their long-lost pride and lustre, through world class service delivery,” he said.

“Matters related to housing delivery, water and sanitation, among other social amenities remain key to the modern, empowered, and prosperous Zimbabwe we all want and deserve. I call upon those elected at the local government levels to wholeheartedly serve the people of our great country.”

He said in future those in the arts, sports and creative cultural industries will be supported to express their talents, but the fraternity needs to promote and protect Zimbabwean values, African culture as well as Christian-oriented family traditions and norms and not allow the arts or media to promote self-hate and divisions in the country.

“Meanwhile, I express my profound gratitude to our traditional leaders, who are the custodians of our land and culture, together with the religious community who joined the crusade to preach peace, love and harmony in our nation. The institution of traditional leadership and freedom of worship will continue to be protected by my new Government,” he said.

“Under my leadership and the new ZANU PF Government, democracy, good governance, the rule of law and the politics of tolerance will be entrenched, in line with the spirit and letter of our sacred national Constitution and laws.”

He said Zimbabwe made no apologies for entrenching and protecting unique Zimbabwean values, cultures and norms and challenged all Zimbabwean and Africans to remain true to themselves in both thoughts and deeds.

New Ziana