Online Reporter
Vusumuzi Dube, Deputy Radar Editor
BULAWAYO councillors continue lobbying for out-of-town trips with five committees this month, requesting look and learn visits to various local authorities within the next two months.
Early this month, some councillors expressed discontent over what they perceive as unequal opportunities to attend workshops and conferences.
Some argued that certain committees were constantly attending conferences.
The lobbying emerged amid deliberations on attendance at two prominent events that include the recently held Khumbul’ekhaya Investment Conference in Harare and the upcoming Sanganai/Hlanganani — World Tourism Expo scheduled for Mutare from 10 to 12 September.
According to a council report, councillors from the Future Water Supplies and Water Action, Town Lands and Planning, Audit, Finance and Development and the Health, Housing and Education committees have all been earmarked to go for the look and learn visits within the next two months.
“Following the requests for look and learn visits from the Audit and the Town Lands and Planning committees, I hereby submit the attached proposed programme for the look and learn visits to other local authorities by all council committees.
“These visits are subject to approval by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works as well as confirmation from the relevant authorities,” said the local authority’s Chamber Secretary, Mrs Sikhangele Zhou, according to the report.
As per the proposed list, the Future Water Supplies and Water Action committee is set to visit Karoi to assess their smart water meter project from 10 to 12 September.
The Finance and Development committee is set to visit Kariba, from 24 to 26 September, to assess its credit control/debt collection and bill payment platforms.
From 8 to 10 October, the Town Lands and Planning Committee is aiming to visit Victoria Falls to get an understanding of the accreditation of the city as a Wetland City and planning for economically sensitive areas and have an appreciation of development in the city in terms of developments such as hotels and cluster houses.
They also aim to assess the involvement of the private sector in land development and MSMEs safe trading spaces in Victoria Falls.
The Audit Committee also aims to travel to the city of Mutare from 15 to 17 October to gain a detailed appreciation of the risk management processes and system, look at ways to encourage a strong risk management culture in the city and to understand the challenges faced in implementing and adopting a risk management culture.
The audit committee also aims to obtain information on lessons learnt and recommendations that the department can adopt to assist in a smooth transition and to understand the oversight role of the committee on risk management.
Finally, the Health, Housing and Education Committee intends to travel to Gwanda or Beitbridge, from 21 to 24 October, where they will look at housing projects, solid waste management, disease management surveillance and shop licensing.
