adminThe buildings, located in Ward Four, are usually used by various churches for weekend services on hiring basis with a four-member committee reportedly overseeing the day-to-ay running of the property.
The committee chairman is attached to the council’s fire fighting department.
Sources within the council said the committee, which is supposed to then deposit the money raised through hiring of the buildings, were not remitting the money to the council.
“The committee has not been reimbursing the money collected from individuals and organisations that would have hired the services of the buildings.
The committee has been arguing that there are no people hiring the services of the buildings. To our surprise, there would be churches conducting services in the buildings every weekend but nothing is coming to council,” said the source.
The source said council recently resolved that the area councillor, Mr Kumbirai Rutsvara, look into the matter.
“Councilor Rutsvara is expected to give a report back to council on how the committee has been running the council buildings,” he said.
Clr Rutsvara confirmed the development when he was contacted for comment yesterday.
He said the committee has been depriving council of thousands of dollars by failing to remit the money paid for the use of the buildings by various organisations, a development which he said was being investigated.
“They are being investigated and could face possible arrest for theft because they have been depriving the council thousands of dollars paid by churches and various organisation for the use of council buildings to their own use,” he said.
Mr Cosmas Chenge, a committee member, however, said the buildings were not council property.
“Those buildings do not belong to council. They were built long back by a non-governmental organisation so that poor residents of Mkoba Village Four can generate money by leasing and hiring those buildings.
“We are a committee overseeing the day-to-day running of the buildings and the council only gets their share in the form of rates and nothing else,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from Gweru mayor Councillor Tedious Chimombe were fruitless as his mobile phone was not reachable.
Online Reporter