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feelings about the cancellation of their trip to the United States of America, three days ago.
On Monday the Government barred mayors and town clerks from five councils from travelling to the United States on a study tour.
Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo stopped Clr Moyo, his town clerk Mr Middleton Nyoni, Masvingo Mayor Clr Femias Chakabuda, his town clerk Mr Adolf Gusha, Harare town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi and his director of urban planning services Mr Psychology Chiwanga, Plumtree town secretary Mr Davies Luthe and Ruwa town secretary Ms Julieth Makombe from leaving for the United States, citing late notification and abuse of public funds as the reason.
However, in separate interviews yesterday Clr Moyo and his Masvingo counterpart Clr Chakabuda said they were not losing sleep about the cancellation of the trip.
They also denied that their councils have given them any money for travelling costs.
Despite the US Department of State having a $75 000 budget for the eight, the local authorities were still asked to raise their own airfares, which the mayors vehemently denied.
“The trip has been deferred to a later date. We were supposed to go on Monday but the trip has been pushed by a further five weeks,” said Clr Chakabuda, who is also the president of the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ).
“It is not true that our councils gave us money because the tour is wholly sponsored by the organisers and there is no cost to us.”
Clr Moyo, the deputy president of UCAZ concurred.
“Yes we had made all the bookings and the payments but there is no loss to anybody because we will still use the money when the travelling date comes.
“There is no problem with that. I am in Bulawayo as we speak and I do not have any hard feelings about it. I have spoken to the organisers of the trip and they said they were working on submitting another proposal about the trip to the Government.
“The Government said there was a need to have a representation of all provinces and that Government officials should also be included in the trip.”
Mr Luthe also declined comment on the issue saying he was attending a funeral.
“You can phone other guys. Ngisemfeni ndoda,” he said before dropping the phone.
The mayors and town clerks delegation was set to visit Washington DC, Baltimore, Providence and Chicago.
Minister Chombo said he only received the request to travel to the United States on Monday and said this made it impossible for him to fully study documents justifying the trip.
He said it was the Government responsibility to grant senior officials Cabinet authority to travel and that in the event that the officials defy the order, they risked being either suspended or dismissed.
Although one of the letters from the US State Department noted that funding for the trip was fully catered for, Ruwa is understood to have raised close to $10 000 for its secretary’s airfares and subsistence allowances.
Councillors from Ruwa refused to sanction the trip, arguing that the amount could best be used for toilets at a school built last year.
This comes at a time when most local authorities are failing to pay salaries and deliver satisfactory services to ratepayers.
According to documents given to our Harare Bureau, the eight were going to be guests of the US State Department, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs and the International Visitor Programme.
The US Embassy in Harare requested funding for the programme from Washington to “meet needs and requests of Zimbabwean colleagues”.
“We are pleased we have been able to meet this commitment and look forward to additional such delegations in future,” read part of the letter of acknowledgement from the US State Department.
Ms Jillian Bonnardeaux from the United States Embassy’s public affairs department in Harare coordinated the programme.
Online Reporter