adminMidlands Bureau Chief
GWERU City Council has finally sent acquittals to the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) for the $80,000 allocated to the local authority for roads rehabilitation last year.
Acting director of engineering services, Engineer Praymore Mhlanga, told Chronicle that the council was now eligible to receive this year’s $400,000 allocation.
He said the misunderstanding between Gweru’s treasury and engineering departments over the use of $20,000, which was left from $80,000 had led to the delays in acquitting the money.
“We’ve sent the acquittals for the $80,000 to Zinara and we now expect this year’s allocation of $400,000. In fact we’ve been told that we’ll receive the money by Zinara,” said Eng Mhlanga.
He said council had used the Zinara funds to purchase shovels and rammers among other tools for use in roads rehabilitation in the Midlands capital.
The engineer was, however, at pains to name the roads that council had rehabilitated using the money and could only say council was committed to improving the state of roads.
Residents associations and councillors have piled pressure on management to deliver and rapped senior staff for letting council down.
“What I want to find out from you town clerk is when was the last time you wrote a warning letter to one of your ‘comrades’ because it’s now a year since we received funds from Zinara but the money is still lying idle in the bank,” fumed Ward Four Councillor Albert Chirau during a recent full council meeting.
“We’ve poor roads and some of them are now impassable but we’ve someone folding their hands in their office. This is unacceptable Mr Town Clerk and we should see heads roll if this kind of attitude to work continues.”
Meanwhile, Eng Mhlanga said contrary to claims that his predecessor Eng Jones Nanthambwe resigned, he actually retired after reaching the retirement age of 65 years. Eng Mhlanga has been the acting director for the department since the beginning of this year.
Online Reporter