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Local Government Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo recently met Zvishavane chiefs at Chief Masunda’s homestead and advised the traditional leaders not to directly involve themselves in the disbursement of the trust fund money.
Minister Chombo’s advice came amid revelations that the five chiefs whose subjects are supposed to benefit from the scheme had allocated themselves between $200 000 and $250 000 so they could directly fund projects in their respective areas.
The five chiefs, Mazvihwa, Masunda, Mapanzure, Wedza and Mafala had also allegedly awarded themselves $5 000 each as advance sitting allowance payment.
The traditional leaders were also said to be meeting every a fortnight to deliberate on developmental projects hence the decision to pay themselves the sitting allowances calculated at the rate of $130 for each sitting.
In an interview yesterday, the chairman of the Zvishavane Community Share Ownership Scheme/Trust, Chief Mazvihwa said the chiefs were expected to meet at Runde Rural District Council boardroom to map the way forward following the Minister Chombo’s advice.
Chief Mazvihwa said the chiefs were, however, not happy with this paper’s story on their meeting with Minister Chombo.
“As chiefs, we were not happy with how you wrote the story about our meeting with the Minister. The story tarnished us and made it appear as if we as traditional leaders and members of the trust fund had
misused the share ownership money, which is not the case,” he said.
“The Minister was just advising on how these funds should be disbursed and by who and not that we could be prosecuted. We are thus having a meeting to deliberate on our meeting with the Minister,” said Chief Mazvihwa.
Asked to comment on Minister Chombo’s directive that the chiefs should leave the disbursement of the huge sums of money to “technocrats” to avoid possible prosecution, Chief Mazvihwa declined to comment saying the issue will be discussed at their meeting.
“I think it’s wise you come as a reporter and attend the meeting so that you can capture everything that will be said in the meeting. Every chief involved would want to say something and I think it’s not proper for me to comment on behalf of others. We really need your presence so that we clear our names because as it is, it appears as if we abused the funds, when it’s not the case,” said Chief Mazvihwa.
Online Reporter