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Conrad Mupesa
Mash West Bureau
The incessant rains being received across the country have exposed Kadoma City Council’s questionable management system after hundreds of families lost furniture to flooding as a result of poor drainage systems.
The council came under the spotlight during yesterday’s fact-finding mission by Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland West, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, who was accompanied by Zanu PF national political commissar and Deputy Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs, Cde Victor Matemadanda.
The delegation sought to assess the impact caused by flooding.
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka and Cde Matemadanda assessed the city’s sewer system and wards 5, 6, 10 and 13, where hundreds of families lost furniture to recent flooding.
The families are living in fear of a health threat as sewage is gushing out in Rimuka, Munhumutapa and Westview suburbs.
While the recent floods may have exposed incompetences of the council’s engineering department, the residents said they have endured flooding and poor drainage systems for decades.
Mr Patrick Domento of Ward 6 said houses were recently submerged in sewage water and called on the Government to intervene to help save lives.
Speaking after touring the flood prone and affected areas, Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said the council let down residents.
“We have to go back to the drawing board,” she said. “Somebody is sleeping on duty because its really sad to think a town has such deplorable conditions that people are staying in. There are no drainage systems and people are also exposed to water borne diseases.”
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said councillors were supposed to serve people.
“The sad thing is that the Meteorological Department Service alerted people about the flooding, but the council was sleeping on duty,” she said. “Their incompetence led to people losing furniture and exposing children to water borne diseases as they will be playing in water where there is sewage effluent.”
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka questioned the use of devolution funds that were disbursed by the Government to all councils and said the council was supposed to address the current challenges before introducing more projects.
Cde Matemadanda said the council was lavishly and extravagantly spending ratepayers’ money on fuel guzzling vehicles at the expense of good service delivery.
He said some councils were not rallying behind the devolution concept and President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030.
“There is concern over allocation of stands by councils before upgrading services to cater for ballooning population,” he said. “The question of offering stands on wetlands is also a challenge.
“We have gone to the sewer system plant where money was used, but there is no progress. The reasons for poor service stems from our political understanding where we vote in people for the sake of voting without considering their capacity.
“Workers’ perks and expensive vehicle allocations should be justified by performance and service rendered to the people.”
Kadoma City Council’s town clerk, Mr Marlven Dondo, said the council was collecting at least 45 to 50 percent of its revenue, making it difficult to attend to critical issues including maintenance of roads, drainage systems and water services.
He expressed hope that the council’s $102 million 2021 devolution funds share will address some of the challenges.
Mr Dondo said the council was prioritising water, sewer, refuse and roads in its 2021 to 2025 strategic planning.
Online Reporter