DURING the first half of this year, there was so much debate on the performance of local authorities and whether the money that they collected from various sources was being accounted for.

Questions were raised then as to how large local authorities such as Lusaka, Ndola and Kitwe failed to provide efficient and reliable basic services despite collecting huge sums of money through rates, licences and other levies that they imposed on residents and organisations in their localities.

Citizens are puzzled about how these councils fail to even collect garbage, do routine maintenance of roads or even service plots from which they may have collected service charges.

Somehow, these local authorities still look up to the Government for grants even for matters such as payment of salaries.

The Ministry of Local Government and Housing instituted audits in selected councils and the findings seem to point to misuse of funds.

Apart from this, councils are plagued by illegal allocation of land and this has forced the Government to appoint a committee to probe this matter and find ways of halting the vice.

Surprisingly, this practice goes on despite the councillors knowing the adverse effects of unplanned settlements, which for obvious reasons do not enjoy provision of services such as reliable water supply, sanitation services or electricity.

The point being made here is that councils over the years have failed to perform their core functions and the results have been unplanned settlements, disease outbreaks, floods and general dilapidation of urban settlements.

Apart from general mismanagement, undue politicisation of civic functions has contributed to this malaise.

It is in this vein that we hope the mayors who have been elected for the coming civic year will steer the councils away from this discredited past and open a new era focused on service provision to the people.