admin
This comes against a backdrop of a myriad of challenges bedeviling the MDC-T -run council.
Scores of residents, who spoke to Chronicle on Friday expressed concern over the way the council was being run and called for a commission to takeover.
The council had all its movable property attached by the Deputy Sheriff over a $3,5 million debt in workers’ salary arrears.
Last year municipal workers won an arbitration award, which was registered by the High Court.
A resident from Mucheke, Mr Shanangurai Chinamatira, said the Minister of Local Government Rural and Urban Development Dr Ignatius Chombo should intervene and arrest the situation.
“We are very much worried with the way things are deteriorating at the Civic Centre. I think it is high time the situation is rescued by the appointment of a commission that will run the affairs of the council. The Mayor and his team have failed,” said Mr Chinamatira.
Another resident from Rujeko suburb said the attachment of properties had almost grounded service delivery in the city and it was just a matter of time before there was an outbreak of diseases.
“We are now sitting on a health time bomb that can explode anytime because of the non-collection of refuse due to the attachment of council property. We are told refuse collection trucks have been attached and very soon, they will be auctioned. So tell me how are we going to survive under such circumstances,” said Mr Chinamatira.
Mr Brian Mangundu of Rhodene also echoed the same sentiments saying the commission was the only solution because the present council had shown that it had failed.
“In the interim, if the Government appoints a commission to run the affairs of the local authority, the situation may improve. It does not need a rocket scientist to see that the council has failed dismally.
“Masvingo is a big city and it is against this background that it should not be allowed to die. A commission is the only solution left while waiting for a substantive council at the convenient time,” said Mr Mangundu.
Mayor Alderman Femius Chakabuda said he was not moved by the views of the individuals adding that people were entitled to their opinions.
He said the only person empowered to appoint a commission was the Minister and not residents.
“Dr Chombo remains the only one who can appoint a commission when he feels we have failed to run the affairs of the council. However, we have not failed and level headed residents are aware of what is happening,” said Ald Chakabuda.
He said he had held several meetings with residents updating them on a number of issues, chief among them, the attachment of property and they are appreciating the situation.
On the sale of attached property by the Deputy Sheriff, Mayor Chakabuda said: “There is nothing we can do. It is entirely up to them to go ahead with the auction or not.
“We do no have powers to stop them even if our case is still at the High Court waiting for the verdict,” he said.
The Deputy Sheriff has since placed an advertisement in the Press indicating that the sale would go ahead on Wednesday after the High Court dismissed the municipality’s urgent chamber application to stop the auction.
Online Reporter