By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
BEITBRIDGE – Local Government and Public Works Minister Hon. Daniel Garwe has told Beitbridge Town Council to put aside political squabbles and focus on service delivery, following a dramatic fallout that saw councilors pass a vote of no confidence in Mayor Peter Pirato Mafuta.
Councilors accuse Mafuta of incompetence, dereliction of duty, and stalling key capital projects intended to improve the town.
Addressing councillors at the Beitbridge Town Council boardroom today, Minister Garwe called for professionalism and unity, warning that partisan politics should have no place in local governance.
“The culture we have from our political parties must not be found in here. Different political views cannot distance us from the fact that we are all Zimbabweans,” he said.
“Service delivery and development should be our mandate we are all civil servants.”
The Minister expressed dismay over poor service delivery, questioning how a strategic border town could go for days without running water when it serves as the face of Zimbabwe at its busiest port of entry.
He also condemned the discharge of raw sewage into the Limpopo River, calling it an environmental and public health hazard.
On municipal policing, Garwe urged authorities to stop harassing vendors and instead work on sustainable plans to accommodate informal traders.
“Vendors are part of our economy. The focus should be on how best to organise them, not on chasing them away,” he said.
Minister Garwe’s intervention comes at a time when Beitbridge, a critical gateway for trade and travel, is under growing pressure to meet basic service standards while managing political tensions within its leadership.