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after the local authority refused to pay outstanding subscriptions for 2008 in fuel.
A number of local authorities failed to pay their annual subscriptions during the hyper-inflationary year.
The Bulawayo City Council first turned down a request to pay the subscription arrears in fuel coupons in 2009 and the decision was upheld in a recent council meeting.
The money, which was in Zimbabwe dollars, has been revalued to US$349,15.
The city council is reportedly mobilising other urban councils to present a united front against UCAZ in the matter.
A number of Bulawayo councillors have even questioned the benefits of the city’s membership to the urban councils’ body, with some saying the annual subscriptions being demanded by the association were too high.
Others felt there was a need to investigate corruption at UCAZ before paying further subscriptions.
The UCAZ Annual General Meeting that was scheduled for December in Victoria Falls had to be rescheduled for this month after the association’s executive failed to produce statements of accounts for the year.
The latest council report shows that councillors authorised the payment of this year’s annual subscription of $23 800.
“Council has resolved that the request by UCAZ to pay for its subscriptions in fuel coupons in respect of 2008, be accordingly not acceded to with regret. UCAZ has been advised accordingly. However, UCAZ considers this fuel, which has been converted to US$349,15 to be outstanding as it still appears in our statement,” read the report.
In the ensuing discussion, the chamber secretary, Mrs Sikhangele Zhou, pointed out that council had written off most of its dollarisation debtors, adding that there was a need to negotiate the 2008 debt with UCAZ who had maintained the debt.
The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Amen Mpofu, felt that UCAZ should write off the debt.
“UCAZ sometimes gets huge donations from the international community. I feel it is only fair that some of these benefits are converted into some form of relief on members’ annual subscriptions,” said Clr Mpofu.
Other councillors said it was important to have an exhaustive investigation into alleged mismanagement of funds at UCAZ.
The Town Clerk, Mr Middleton Nyoni, pointed out that all the issues were likely to be looked into at the rescheduled UCAZ AGM set for this month in Mutare.
Clr Norman Hlabani of Ward 26 said: “We need to consult other local authorities for a collective response.”
Councillors then resolved that the money could only be paid after consultation with other local authorities.
Online Reporter