Govt bans outside Harare workshops without ministerial approval

Blessings Chidakwa

Herald Reporter

THE Government has with immediate effect, banned the Harare City Council from conducting workshops or training programmes outside its jurisdiction without ministerial approval.

This is part of moves by central Government, to curb rampant abuse of ratepayers’ money by council which is already being probed for suspected maladministration by a Commission of Inquiry appointed by President Mnangagwa.

The ban follows revelations that councillors were working in cahoots with managers to loot council coffers through conducting endless workshops outside the city from which they would draw huge allowances.

Money for allowances was reportedly being processed speedily while that for key services and salaries for workers was taking ages to be released.

Reading notices during the city’s 1927th ordinary council meeting yesterday, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume said the Local Government and Public Works Ministry had temporarily banned out of town travel without Ministerial approval.

“We received a circular from the Government and they raised concern over workshops being held outside Harare. The Government is saying such workshops should not be held without its approval.

“I have asked my staff to comply with the order. We are here to comply with the order from our parent ministry,” he said.

Early this month, 21 councillors from the human resources committee were exposed for their penchant for luxury amid reports of splashing ratepayers’ money on a useless trip.

The councillors reportedly each demanded 120 litres to go to Victoria Falls despite a bus having been provided to ferry them.

Calculations show that the councillors gobbled up 2 520 litres of fuel and drew huge allowances.

While the trip in Victoria Falls lasted for three days, councillors from the same committee were also at Kadoma Hotel and Conference Centre where they spent a weekend holding a meeting which could have been convened in Harare.

Human resources committee chairperson Councillor George Mujajati refused to comment on the issue.

During the Victoria Falls trip, Harare Residents Trust director Mr Precious Shumba said it was unclear why the councillors preferred to hold key meetings outside Harare when they had facilities in the capital to host executive meetings.