Urban Councils Association in shambles

Mr Sylvernos Ushe was reportedly suspended by the executive last week.
A number of the association’s affiliates said the executive was using Mr Ushe as a scapegoat to cover up for its financial mismanagement that has seen the organisation losing thousands of dollars.
They said the executive should be investigated for an account that was opened in neighbouring Botswana to receive donor funding.
The association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was scheduled for Victoria Falls last December had to be postponed after the executive failed to provide audited financial statements.
Members of the executive committee include UCAZ president, Masvingo Mayor Alderman Fermius Chakabuda, the first vice-president Bulawayo’s Mayor Councillor Thaba Moyo, the second vice-president who is also the mayor of Kadoma, Clr Peter Mathambo, and the secretary general, Mr Francis Duri.
A statement that was produced at the failed AGM allegedly showed that bank reconciliations were last done in 2008.
Draft financial statements which were supposed to have been produced by Grant Thornton (accounting consultants) by 28 November last year, were not available.
UCAZ represents Zimbabwe’s 24 municipalities.
“We have heard about Mr Ushe’s suspension. We do not think it is enough. The entire executive’s hands are dirty. We should call an emergency AGM at which a committee should be appointed to investigate this mess. It does not make sense to let the executive investigate itself,” said the mayor of one of the municipalities who declined to be named.
A senior council official of one of the cities said there was need to urgently investigate the Botswana bank account.
“These guys opened an account in Botswana. Most donor funds from the international community are deposited into the account. No one knows how much is in the account or who the signatories are. I think this is another loophole that has led to gross abuse of funds. Why was the account not opened in Zimbabwe? We have a multi-currency system. Most members are unhappy about this account,” said the official.
Another official said the UCAZ executive committee had been holding meetings in Harare every week since Christmas.
“These meetings, whose agenda is not known to members, are being financed through subscriptions by members. I think it was during one of these meetings that these guys decided to sacrifice Ushe. When a new executive comes in, the money spent on these meetings should be accounted for. If any abuse of funds is detected, the culprits should be punished,” said the official.
Of late, there has been growing discontent among urban councils over paying UCAZ subscriptions, which members have said are too high.
Clrs Moyo and Mathambo refused to comment on Mr Ushe’s suspension, saying only the UCAZ president, Ald Chakabuda, could speak on the issue.
Mr Duri also referred questions to Ald Chakabuda.
“I cannot say anything about Mr Ushe’s suspension. Contact the UCAZ president for a comment,” said Mr Duri.
Ald Chakabuda could not be reached for comment.
One of his mobile numbers has been barred for incoming calls since Tuesday last week, while the other occasionally rings without being answered.
A number of municipalities have also refused to pay UCAZ subscriptions for 2008.
They failed to pay that year because of rampant hyperinflation during the period.
Some of them have asked the association to use donor funds to write off the outstanding subscriptions.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that auditors were failing to draw up UCAZ financial statements because they were only provided with a trial balance to work on.
A second trial balance was provided without supporting journal entries. Statements for utility expenses for November and December 2010 were not provided.