…Zaka RDC operations grounded as thousands of litres of fuel were never delivered
By Brighton Chiseva
ZAKA – A Zanu PF Zaka District Coordinating Committee (DCC) member is at the centre of a storm after failing to deliver 9000 litres of fuel already paid for to Zaka Rural District Council (RDC) in a three year period.
Sources within the local authority said Confidence Mukau who is Zaka Zanu PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) Secretary for Women Affairs unscrupulously got a tender to supply fuel to the local authority in 2021 whilst she was renting a local service station but later on closed down but had not delivered over 9 000litres of fuel already paid for by the local authority.
It is alleged Mukau and some of her business associates were running fuel station in Jerera and were paid to supply 20000 litres of fuel to Zaka RDC but delivered only 11 000 before closing down without delivering the remaining 9000 litres.
Efforts to get a comment from Mukau were futile as her cellphone went unanswered several times and repeated efforts yielded nothing as the number kept on indicating that it was either engaged or even blocked.
Concerted efforts to use another cellphone number also failed to yield results as she answered the first call and remained silent, later on failing to answer several calls made to her.
On his part, Zaka RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Majaura, as has been the norm could neither confirm nor deny saying he was not sure and needed to verify first.
“Not sure of figures. I need to verify the issue. Be patient,” said Majaura.
A source in council said Mukau was running a fuel company called MITMIC and were about 9600L and they wrote several letters and held meetings where promises were made to no avail.
“We wrote letters and had several verbal communication from the Procurement and Administration departments. We also held meetings, and promises were made, but were not fully implemented,” said the source
Other sources however alleged that at its inception, the current crop of councilors led by Fungai Maregedze accused council of failing to run operations of which management told them they were being affected by poor revenue inflow.
Management then compiled a list on which Mukau was at the top, and allegations of her being in the same Zanu PF faction with Maregedze’s husband Clemence Chiduwa who is the DDC Chairperson, the council chair did not act.
“Last year the new council accused us of failing to run council and they were told that the local authority had no revenue and was owed large amounts of money by individuals and other debtors,” the source said.
Contacted for comment, Maregedze who is out on bail after being arrested by ZACC recently on abuse of office charges, refuted the allegations saying it was not the duty of councilors or the council chair to follow up on debts.
“I am not aware of any list, it’s not the council chairs duty to do follow up on debts so there is no way I would have blocked the follow up,” said Maregedze.
Asked if she was aware of the 9 000 fuel scandal Maregedze said she only saw it in the press and said the matter was supposed to be taken to the courts which she said are not biased.
“I saw the issue in the press but it was all lies, it’s just character assassination and they should simply take the matter to court, at least there are magistrates who try people not trying people in newspapers,” said Maregedze.
Sources said Mukau and Maregedze are so close to the extent that the former tried to mobilise Zanu PF youth in the district and other faction members to demonstrate against the latter’s arrest accusing management of causing her arrest.
Zaka district is one of the least developed, with ruling party factional wars hindering development at the expense of the local authority as Zanu PF bigwigs fight for control of the district.
The district factions within the ruling party are said to be divided between Zaka Central legislator Davies Marapira who is also Deputy Minister of Agriculture and his Zaka South counterpart Chiduwa who chairs the DDC.
