adminAccording to the latest council report, it is not the first time that councillors have made the allegation.
However, the pest control unit has denied the allegations, saying if such a thing was happening, everyone in the department would have to be involved to avoid detection.
According to the report, councillors first made the accusation in 2009.
The Mayor, Councillor Thaba Moyo, on Tuesday said the health, housing and education committee, which made the accusations, should follow council protocol by making formal recommendations to the audit committee, to pave way for official investigations.
In its defence, the pest control unit has submitted a report in which they tried to prove that it was impossible to steal the chemicals.
“There is a system in place that documents all chemicals received and how they were stored and dispensed. This is documented by the stores attendant and monitored regularly by supervisors,” reads the report.
It is stated in the report that the main chemicals used by the unit were abates, which are used in open water bodies like streams to control mosquito larvae.
“This is definitely not for use by individual householders. Bugstop was used for indoor residual spraying. It is only dispensed after householders have made and paid for specific requests. As a control measure, the chemical is mixed in front of the individual who would have paid for the service, leaving little room for pilfering,” reads the report.
“If however, pilfering is taking place, it would have to involve the whole team, from supervisor to overseer and spray teams, together with perhaps the stores person.”
The report reads that the pest control unit upheld council’s zero tolerance on corruption and called on residents to report all suspicious incidents to council.
“Further, there are spray men who have their own spray pumps and hire themselves out to the public over the weekends to augment their salaries. They provide themselves with their own chemicals. The conditions of service require such employees to declare the after hours activities to their head of department,” the report reads.
Contacted for comment, Clr Moyo said the health, housing and education committee was free to institute investigations into the issue.
“Council procedure dictates that they should make recommendations to the audit committee so that a team is dispatched to investigate. It is important that the truth comes out, in line with our policy of zero tolerance on corruption,” said Clr Moyo.
Online Reporter