Councillors get motorbikes

Marvelous Moyo
THE Gwanda Rural District Council has acquired motorbikes for all its 24 councillors at a cost of approximately $52 000.
The motorbikes were officially handed over to the councillors during a full council meeting in the mining town.
The RDC chief executive officer, Mr Ronnie Sibanda, said the motorbikes would go a long way in assisting councillors operate smoothly in their wards.

“We realised that some councillors had difficulties in moving around their wards but with these motorbikes we hope such challenges would be a thing of the past. Councillors would now have better access to monitor various activities in all corners of their wards,” he said.

Mr Sibanda said the motorbikes were not given to councillors for free but were on credit as they would pay back over a period of three years.

“The council would recover the cost of the motorbikes from the councillors’ allowances on a monthly basis. Full ownership of the motorbikes will be transferred to the councillors at the end of their term of office,” he said.

The facility is structured in such a way that by the end of the councillors’ term of office in 2018, the loans would have been paid up. Mr Sibanda said the initiative to acquire the motorbikes was done with approval from the parent ministry, the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.

The councillors expressed gratitude over the RDC’s noble gesture saying it would enhance their operations and increase mobility. Of the 24 RDC councillors, two of them are females and were excited about receiving the motorbikes.

Clr Anna Choeni of Ward 23 happily received the motorbike and said she was optimistic that she would soon start driving it around her ward since she was already in the process of getting a licence. She said sometimes she walked long distances to some villages in her ward.

“My ward is big and sometimes I had to use my own resources to reach out to all the villages. I am happy because by getting us the motorbikes, council has brought us some relief,” said Clr Choeni.

Her fellow female councillor, Clr Lobukhosi Malila of Ward three said she will be able to effectively communicate with people in her ward over a short period of time as she had started using her motorbike.