adminTemba Dube Senior Reporter
FORMER Bulawayo Mayor Mr Thaba Moyo has been given a luxury Chrysler Dodge vehicle that cost council $65 000 three years ago as his exit package while his former deputy Mr Amen Mpofu has walked away with a laptop. According to a confidential council report, the new crop of councillors last month passed a resolution that Mr Moyo be sold the car that he was using for council business, as part of his exit package, for $7 000.
Council reportedly bought the vehicle for $65 000 in 2010.
The amount was said to be $30 000 above the official price.
The resolution regarding the issue reads: “The Ministerial directive on exit packages for the former mayor and councillors should be complied with, i.e sell the car to the former mayor at book value — $7 000, all former councillors be given a once off monthly allowance, the former mayor and former deputy mayor to take their laptops.”
Councillors had made a resolution on 26 June to ask the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Dr Ignatius Chombo, to allow the former mayor and his deputy to be given the vehicles they used during their time in office.
Mr Mpofu had been using a Mazda BT50 twin cab.
Further, councillors sought for each of them to get four months allowances as gratuity and all councillors to be given the laptops that council had bought for them.
However, the Minister amended the resolution and directed councillors to give Mr Mpofu a laptop and Mr Moyo the vehicle.
It is shown in the confidential report that Councillor Gideon Mangena questioned the authenticity of the Ministerial directive to sell the Dodge to Mr Moyo.
The Town Clerk, Mr Middleton Nyoni, then circulated a handwritten and signed note from Dr Chombo.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Mr Moyo said he was not in a position to comment.
“I cannot comment on the issue because it has not been announced officially,” said Mr Moyo.
Mr Mpofu said he had heard about the issue but was yet to get formal communication from council.
“I heard that the issue was finalised. However, council is yet to tell me about the decision,” said Mr Mpofu.
Mr Nyoni could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone rang without being answered.
The rest of the councillors, including the Mayor, have also reportedly benefited from the Government concession that allowed them to buy residential stands at a 35 percent discount.
There was bickering among the outgoing councillors over the exit packages.
A number complained that Mr Moyo was getting the best deal.
“We were all councillors, including the Mayor. When he was in office, he used to go on numerous all expenses paid trips with allowances of up to $500. Now he gets the expensive car. This is unfair,” a councillor is on record as saying.
The councillor said the Dodge was bought for the Mayor a few months before a Mazda BT50 vehicle had been bought for him.
At the beginning of the year, councillors fiercely resisted moves by council officials to award themselves hefty exit packages that included getting either residential, industrial or commercial stands, up to three months salary, get their vehicle loans written off and exemption from paying rates and water charges.
Former Gweru Mayor Mr Tedious Chimombe was given a Toyota Prado and a residential stand in Athlone low density suburb as his exit package.
Mr Chimombe also received two months allowances for every year served.
During his term in office, he also received a big residential stand in Mkoba Village 12.
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