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Oliver Kazunga Business Reporter
THE International Labour Organisation (ILO) has expressed concern over state-of-the-art woodwork equipment worth $100 000 it donated almost a year ago to Bulawayo community that is lying idle, an official has said.
In an interview, the Zimbabwe Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises national organising secretary Mr Energy Majazi said the state-of-the-art technology was donated by ILO to benefit the local community including students at vocational centres and entrepreneurs.
He said Bulawayo City Council (BCC) wants the workplace where the technology would be installed to be identified through a tender system.
Mr Majazi said during their recent meeting with ILO, the donor indicated intentions to repossess the equipment and donate it to other stakeholders in Mashonaland East province.
“As master craftsmen (chamber of SMEs), sometime this year we wrote to BCC requesting them to give us a common facility centre where the machinery can be installed so that students at the vocational training centre and other entrepreneurs in wood technology can receive practical skills.
“The local authority turned down our application saying the workplace for that technology has to be secured through a tender system,” he said.
The donated technology includes equipment for designing and cutting planks into various sizes.
“I regret to inform you that council (BCC) did not accede to your application to lease two factory shells at Kelvin North of wood furniture manufacturing, instead the factory shells will be allocated through the tender system in the usual manner.
“You should be in the look-out for such in the near future,” reads part of a document dated 17 June 2013 in response to the Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs application.
Mr Majazi said the woodwork equipment was donated to the community in March this year.
“We still appeal to BCC to give us a special dispensation on this matter so that the machinery is installed for the benefit of the community before the donor repossesses it.
“ILO at one of the meetings expressed concern that the equipment may end up being donated to other stakeholders in Mashonaland East. We are pleading for a special consideration on this issue because the tender that we are said we must wait for may not come and end up losing the machinery.”
He said because of a continuous change of administration in local authorities, some of the programmes expected to bring development in the city may end up becoming water under the bridge.
Addressing participants during a donor conference on Wednesday, Mr Majazi implored BCC to change its mindset when dealing with small-scale entrepreneurs on issues that promote development in the city.
Online Reporter