The Chitungwiza Municipality has been plunged into a fresh governance crisis as Mayor Rosaria Mangoma stands accused of deliberately paralyzing council operations by stalling the election of new standing committees. This tactical delay has effectively frozen the municipality’s decision-making arms, leaving critical service delivery issues ranging from perennial water shortages to collapsing sewage infrastructure—in a state of administrative limbo as the local authority fails to constitute its vital oversight bodies.
Sources within the Town Council allege that the Mayor is intentionally orchestrating a leadership vacuum to avoid accountability during the final stretch of her current tenure. By blocking the formation of essential committees such as Finance, Audit, and Health, the Mayor has consolidated power, preventing the very oversight mechanisms designed to vet council spending and policy. These maneuvers have reportedly created a "lame duck" environment where serious municipal decisions are deferred indefinitely, seemingly to protect the Mayor from the consequences of controversial executive choices.
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The situation has sparked outrage among fellow representatives who claim the Mayor is playing a dangerous game with the town’s future. One councillor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, described the atmosphere at the municipality as one of calculated chaos. “She is running a one-man show and avoiding the very committees that are supposed to check her powers,” the councillor said. “The most worrying part is that she is ensuring that when she leaves, there will be no officially designated Acting Mayor or a clear succession plan. She is avoiding making serious, binding decisions now by ensuring there is no functional executive structure left behind to question her legacy.”
This political stalemate is compounded by a decade-long administrative failure that has seen Chitungwiza governed by "acting" officials rather than substantive appointees. For nearly ten years, the local authority has failed to confirm permanent heads for vital managerial positions, including the Town Clerk, Chamber Secretary, and Director of Finance. This culture of temporary appointments has hollowed out the institution’s professional capacity, as acting managers often lack the job security or the legal mandate required to implement the long-term structural reforms necessary to rescue the dormitory town.
The dual crisis of a stalled political wing and a temporary administrative staff has left residents to bear the brunt of the decay. With the town currently operating under immense fiscal pressure and infrastructure failing at an alarming rate, the lack of substantive leadership means there is no one to hold accountable for the deteriorating state of affairs. As pressure mounts from residents' associations and disgruntled councillors, calls for the Ministry of Local Government to intervene and dissolve the current impasse are growing louder, with many fearing that Chitungwiza is drifting toward a total collapse of municipal governance.
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