Councils cry foul

The association also wants Government to pay its bills as failure to do so was affecting service delivery.
Zilga president Councillor Nimrod Chiminya said the country’s 92 local authorities were experiencing delays in the procurement of goods because of the cumbersome SPB processes.

“Service delivery is being affected in our councils,” said Clr Chiminya.
“Reverting to the traditional system where councils procured on their own will ensure the availability of critical goods and services such as water treatment chemicals and protective clothing.”

Councils have a facility that allows them to circumvent the procurement process in emergency cases.
“It is our hope that Government will review that position,” he said.

Clr Chiminya appealed to the Government to take full responsibility of nurses employed by the local authorities.
Some councils, he said, had lost property due to attachments when they failed to pay nurses’ salaries and other benefits.