Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
A Bulawayo City Councillor has attacked council management, accusing them of corruption and of running down the local authority at the expense of service delivery.
Speaking during a full council meeting, Ward Three councillor, Mxolisi Mahlangu, said it was extremely worrying to see council employees doing as they please, attributing that to a lack of supervision by councillors, who are the lawmakers.
Clr Mahlangu cited an example of the auctioning of council vehicles, which are later hired back to the local authority.
“We auction graders and other vehicles to private individuals and the same vehicles end up being hired back by council. We have seen these vehicles providing services to council. My question is, and I have even asked some council employees, is this problem with the mechanics we have, is it a supervisory issue or is there rot within the whole institution? We cannot rule out that there may be a synchronised, well-oiled system which deliberately brings these things down for auction so that they can go and work elsewhere,” said Clr Mahlangu.
He said there was need to crack the whip on council employees, especially those in management positions who have inculcated a culture of coming late to interns, noting that some managers are reporting to work as late as 10am, instead of 8am.
“Until we approach this council differently, we are going to complain in perpetuity but what I want to say to the City Fathers and Mothers here is that what the employees are doing is exactly a reflection of our capabilities as councilors, yourself included Your Worship,” said Clr Mahlangu.
He said it was a free for all in council yet when it is sending arrears to residents they start talking about statistics such as that a bill of US$38 was accumulated over so many months therefore the defaulter must be arrested; “yet the criminals are tight here in this august house, the councilors who are not taking accountability for the actions of these people that we call our employees.
“Until we do a self-introspection as councilors, we are not going to do anything and we risk being the worst councillors. The biggest poverty that we have is the bankruptcy of minds from the people that we are employing,” said Cllr Mahlangu.
