…Chadzamira re-commissions new vehicles
Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI- Having been bullied by Zanu PF for failing to invite Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira together with other ruling party officials to commission new vehicles bought using devolution and internal funds, Chiredzi Town Council recently gave in by organizing the re-commissioning on April 13.
Chiredzi Town Council commissioned the vehicles two weeks ago without the Zanu PF provincial leadership which did not go well with the ruling party leadership which then threatened the local authority to re-commission the vehicles.
Zanu PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) Chairperson, Siyaki Mundungehama is said to have put four Chiredzi town Zanu PF councilors under fire accusing them of allowing council to commission the vehicles without Chadzamira.
Mundungehama is alleged to have summoned the councilors to a disciplinary hearing on why they were allowing town council chairperson Gibson Hwende getting mileage by commissioning the vehicles without provincial leaders.
However, when contacted for comment after the first commissioning, Zanu PF provincial chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa said he was not aware of the disciplinary action but acknowledged the anger saying they were supposed to have called the provincial leadership.
Chiredzi West Member of Parliament, Farai Musikavanhu who was part of the delegation during the first commissioning of these vehicles two weeks ago also lashed out at the local authority for not inviting the provincial leaders.
On Wednesday (April 13 2022) Musikavanhu convened a developmental Indaba at Chitsanga Hall where he invited Chadzamira to re-commission the service vehicles.
Addressing people during the Indaba, acting Chiredzi Town Council Secretary, Engineer Wesley Kauma, said they received ZW$40 million devolution funds which they used to buy a fire tender at ZW$13 million and a refuse compactor for ZW$16 million.
“We were allocated ZW$90 million by the second republic in devolution funds and we used to access and disburse ZW$40 million which we managed to procure a refuse compactor and fire tender. The remainder was used to purchase two tractors which are outside. The other two parts of equipment are yet to be delivered but we are expecting them soon,” said Kauma.
Chadzamira, thanked the local authority for putting devolution funds to good use and warned the local authority against commissioning the equipment in his absence.
“I would like to thank council for putting the devolution funds to good use. I heard rumors that there are people who had commissioned equipment which was bought using devolution funds without the presence of the District Development Coordinator. These projects are supposed to be commissioned by the DDC, Permanent Secretary of Devolution, myself or His Excellency depending on the nature of the project.
“If devolution funds have been put to use, the projects are not to be taken as personal by the council because it is not their funds, they belong to President Mnangagwa so the system structures of President Mnangagwa begins with DDC, then the provincial secretary for devolution and myself, then the President. The people I have mentioned are the ones who are supposed to commission devolution projects not just popping up and tell residents that we have done this,” said Chadzamira.
Of the commissioned vehicles, devolution funds only purchased two tractors which were commissioned.
The fire tender and a refuse compactor which were bought using the same funds are yet to be delivered and the other four vehicles which were commissioned were bought using internal funds.
