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Walter Mswazie, Masvingo Correspondent
MASVINGO City Council has started implementing a controversial $4 million solar street lighting project, with residents urging the government to cancel it as it did not go through a tender process.
Five hundred and eighty street lights will be installed in the country’s oldest city by a firm called Joshua Generation, which is working on the project with Old Mutual and an unnamed Chinese company. Joshua Generation will recover its costs through selling advertising space on the street lights over a period of 15 years.
Masvingo Mayor Councillor Hubert Fidze said council is elated to have a partner working on the project.
“Council’s $4 million solar street lighting project has started after we found a partner. We hope by
December, about 580 solar streets lights will have been installed. The good part of it is that council is not paying much in this project as the organisation has been offered advertising space on the street lights,” said Clr Fidze.
He said it had become expensive for the local authority to maintain streets lights, hence Joshua Generation’s coming on board should be appreciated.
On why they did not go to tender, the mayor said it was Joshua Generation who approached council with the idea.
However, Masvingo Urban Ratepayers and Residents Alliance spokesperson Godfrey Mutimba said the government must cancel the partnership as relevant laws were violated.
“This tender was awarded by a full council resolution without observing the laid down procedures. The Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing should intervene in this. We aren’t sure of the organisation’s capacity to do the job although there are some partners in the project.
‘‘Residents demand that a tender should be advertised for the potential bidders to apply after which a suitable bidder will be awarded in a transparent manner,” said Mutimba
Masvingo Residents Trust coordinator Prosper Tiringindi said the project should be stopped forthwith until council puts the project to tender.
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