Mayor to investigate councillors’ lifestyle

they have become rich overnight.
Addressing journalists at Town House yesterday, Mr Masunda, said he was worried by Press reports suggesting that his deputy Clr Emmanuel Chiroto was building a 23-roomed house in Mt Pleasant.

Mr Masunda promised to talk to his colleagues to understand their new status.
“I am worried about the lifestyles of certain councillors. I cannot take a blind eye to that,” he said.
He said he had also received reports that some of his councillors were engaged in corrupt activities especially when it comes to awarding tenders.

“There are allegations on procurement issues. There are reports that some councillors are working in collusion with companies winning tender bids,” he said.
He said if such matters were ignored, they had a tendency of haunting “you” at a latter stage, adding that he had to deal with the matters now.
When the majority of the councillors assumed office, they wore slippers and tracksuits and did not drive, it is alleged.

The Harare Residents Trust has often raised concern over the matter suggesting that some of the councillors were corruptly acquiring their wealth.
The councillors have not been given an opportunity to defend and explain their sudden wealth.

In a recent interview, Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo was also very critical of the conduct of some councillors.
“The role of a councillor is to fight for good, appropriate and affordable services. They are doing the exact opposite. They seem hell bent on increasing tariffs, punishing the people who elected them into office, instead of rewarding them by giving them good service. I am sad to say that it seems some councillors are more concerned with personal gains than delivering service to the people. This is unacceptable,” he said.
On the issue of the reconstituting of standing committees, Mr Masunda dismissed the resistance as an exercise in futility as his decision had the backing of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Some councillors had vowed to resist being rotated arguing that the process would affect continuity and disturb the existing work culture.
But Mr Masunda said he consulted the MDC-T leader over the matter.
“I consulted their principals. They agreed to my plan to rotate them so that by the time they finish their term they would be well rounded,” he said.

He said councillorship was a grooming process to be a Member of the House of Assembly and Senate.
He said he put councillors into their respective new committees based on individual performances and grasp of issues.
“They are in a comfort zone. They do not want it disturbed,” he said.

Mr Masunda said his actions were motivated by the love of Harare and Zimbabwe. He said some of the councillors were not performing because they were placed in wrong committees hence he had to put them where their competencies were best needed.
He said he was not worried by accusations that he was dictatorial as his intentions were for the benefit of the city and councillors themselves.

The major bone of contention is the inclusion of councillors into outside bodies such as the urban Councils of Zimbabwe, the Employment Council and the Harare City Council Medical Aid Society.
Members to these bodies enjoy more travel and automatically financial rewards.