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Timoth Makohliso Midlands Reporter
Gweru Mayor, Councillor Hamutendi Kombayi, has supported council’s $500,000 spending on top-of-the-range cars for management.
This is despite the fact that council workers have gone for two months without salaries and the local authority failing to hold centenary celebrations citing financial constraints.
He defended the council management yesterday at a tense 2015 budget consultative meeting held at the Gweru Town House.
Responding to questions from residents, Clr Kombayi said the acquisition of 11 top-of-the-range cars by the council management was a closed chapter.
“I understand many are demanding answers on the issue of luxury cars that management recently purchased. We can’t keep living in the past.
“There is nothing that can be done to reverse the situation, what’s done is done. Besides, management needed those cars and we bought them. I therefore suggest we focus on the path ahead rather than keep on accusing each other. That is the only way we can progress as a city,” said Clr Kombayi.
The council management allegedly dished out $30,000 car loans to eight assistant directors and forked out $276, 000 for three vehicles, a Jeep Cherokee for the Town Clerk, Daniel Matawu and two Toyota D4D V6s for directors of finance and engineering Edgar Mwedzi and Engineer Praymore Mhlanga.
Matawu said that the car deal was done above board.
The meeting which was convened to gather residents’ views on what they want included in the 2015 budget, was reduced to a heated debate pitting management and Clr Kombayi against residents.
The meeting tried to tackle various burning issues with little success.
Among the issues discussed was that of erratic water supply. Residents argued that water should never be a problem as they are paying a $20 water levy meant for repairs and purchase of new water pumps.
They also suggested that there is need for the council to engage Zesa on the issue of consistency in terms of electricity supply to the Gwenoro Water Works.
Council had told the meeting that power outages were at times responsible for their failure to pump water to residents.
The council was urged to up its game in terms of paying its workers who are said to have gone for two months without receiving salaries.
Residents demanded that workers be paid their outstanding dues as failure to do so could aggravate corruption which they say is already rampant among council management and workers.
Responding to various issues related to the use of money, Mwedzi said the council is owed about $26 million by residents.
He said this was making it difficult for the council to execute its duties well.
“We may speak about the council not being able to live up to its mandate but residents are not paying us. If they pay up everything they owe us, we will be able to do most of the things in the manner expected of us.
“We do understand that our revenue collection system is poor, therefore it needs to be improved but please try by all means to pay up your dues. That is the only way we can move forward,” said Mwedzi.
Online Reporter