…as council snubs provincial leadership
…DCC wants function re-organised
Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI- Town Council is under fire from Zanu PF , which is accusing the local authority for commissioning vehicles bought using devolution funds without inviting party leadership.
Last week, CTC officially commissioned four service delivery vehicles purchased using internal funds as well as two tractors that were bought using devolution funds at Melbourne Park Medium Density site where they also officially launched the sewer reticulation system in preparation for construction works by residents at the medium density site.
The event was graced by the Office of the District Development Coordinator (DDC) and Chiredzi West Member of Parliament, Farai Musikavanhu who told the local authority that they should have appreciated the works by the second republic by inviting the Minister of State for such a big event.
Writing in a Zanu PF WhatsApp group, Musikavanhu allegedly said Chiredzi Town Councilors owed him an apology for using his name as the guest of honor when in actual fact the town chairperson had invited DDC to be the guest of honor.
“Chiredzi town councilors owe me an apology for using my name in an attempt to sanitize their improperly sanctioned launch on March 22, 2022 to which their guest of honor as clearly stated by Council Chairperson Gibson Hwende was DDC Lovemore Chisema and not me.
“I made it clear in my remarks that the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Hon Chadzamira was supposed to be the guest of honor at such a key function where tractors bought using devolution funds availed by the government of HE President ED Mnangagwa were being commissioned,” wrote Musikavanhu.
The legislator, is said to be struggling in the Mavhenyengwa ‘infested’ district, where Chiredzi North Member of Parliament Roy Bhila and former CTC Chairperson, Francis Moyo are alleged to be after his political throat, threatening his return in Chiredzi West.
Other sources within party structures claimed that the councilors were called for disciplinary hearing over the matter.
However, Chiredzi Zanu PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) Siyaki Mundungehama denied having called councilors for the disciplinary hearing saying it was not his duty.
He however, went on to say there was a possibility that there could be a re-commissioning of the vehicles using proper protocols.
“That is very false, constitutionally; I do not do disciplinary issues. I presided over a meeting to prepare ourselves ready for the by-elections, ensuring that we had our agents for all the polling stations. If that happens (re-commissioning), it will then be purely a government programme. The government officials will be responsible.
“Devolution funds and what they purchase are government controlled, locally through local government and to some extent central government,” said Mundungehama.
Zanu PF provincial Chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa said it was wrong for council to commission such projects without the local leadership and the Minister of state saying they are the representative of the people.
He went on to say even when commissioning projects funded internally they should invite the minister since the funds are from the rates paid by the people.
“We haven’t done any disciplinary for the councilors though council was wrong in not inviting the provincial leadership on the commissioning of vehicles since some were bought using devolution funds.
“Even those bought with internal funds, the minister should be there,” said Mavhenyengwa.
However, Chiredzi Town Chairperson Gibson Hwende said there was no law that stipulates that every commissioning they do they should invite the provincial leadership.
“There is no law that gives us who we should invite when commissioning our projects. However, depending on the source of funding and magnitude of the project, we sometimes need to invite people from higher offices.
“When commissioning devolution funded projects, the minister will be the right person to invite but it also depends on the size. So we had only two tractors under devolution so we saw it fit to do it locally. We have more projects and vehicles which are yet to be delivered that were bought under devolution funds so when we commission those that’s when we will invite him,” said Hwende
CTC has also purchased a refuse truck as well as fire tenders which are expected to be delivered soon.
Chiredzi town council has four Zanu PF Councilors and one independent while the other three got in on the MDC-Alliance ticket.
Zanu PF has been accused of using devolutions funds to bankroll their campaigns.
In the run up to the 26 March by-elections, the party was drilling boreholes and doing other projects in vacant wards using devolution funds.
