Masvingo City Councillors Clash over Caravan Park

By Virginia NjovoMasvingo City councillors recently clashed over Caravan Park’s three-year lease application while owing City Council rentals over US$9 000.The councillors were divided as to granting the application, with some saying the owner should clear the arrears first while some said they should grant him since they benefited from the park’s services.The debate turned partisan, with Zanu PF councillors arguing that council should grant him the three-year lease request while the some opposition councillors objected.Zanu PF’s Ward 10 councillor Sengerayi Manyanga, his counterparts Ward 2 Benson Hwata and Ward 7 councillor Simbarashe Shonhiwa strongly backed the application while vocal Ward 9 opposition councillor Bernard Muchokwa led the objections.Manyanga said they should consider that councillors and some senior officials went there to eat food for free, so they should grant him the application.“He should be given the lease of three years even having the rental arrears. In this house we rely on that facility. We go there and eat without paying. There was a time we had an arrear of around USD $3 000 for sadza only, so how do you expect him to pay the money while we make such huge debts,” said Manyanga.He went on to say council was supposed to set a precedence by making profit from its bars before them disadvantaging others who were doing better.“The Caravan Park is in my ward and we have no problem with it having a three-year lease. If you want to turn down the application then we have to go to all bars in other wards and see how they are faring, are they paying up?“Council is failing to run its own bars, we are making losses in council bars but we want to turn down this application because the applicant owes us. Don’t we owe others? We owe Zesa and other institutions but they haven’t penalized us,” said Manyanga.Hwata chipped in and said Caravan Park operator was doing Corporate Social Responsibility and was supporting council in different aspects, so it was unfair to turn down the application.“Besides going there eating sadza, let us not forget what he did to us recently. He sponsored a jersey for the inter-municipal ball games when we went to Mutare. Let him operate; he is trying and his existence benefits council more,” said Hwata.Shonhiwa said the lease approval should proceed, arguing that the debt issue could be settled easily if council gives him a payment plan.“There is no problem in giving him the three-year lease because of the debt. We can give him while preparing a payment plan so that he settles his debt while operating, since we have a good mutual relationship,” said Shonhiwa.Ward 3 councillor Maxwell Madhuna argued that the application should proceed since it was clearly stipulated that the contract will be terminated once the business unit becomes operational.“I do not see the problem in proceeding with the approval of this application while arguing that three years is too much while the minutes clearly states that the contract will be terminated once the business unit becomes operational, even tomorrow, so let us just proceed,” said Madhuna.Ward 1 Councillor Sabina Chikwangwani who once opposed the three-year lease approval later changed her mind and supported it, arguing that they were supposed to be fair since council approved other leases of people who had debts.“I was not in support of this three-year lease but later I realized there are a lot of leases being approved in this house regardless of them owing the council. And to those who are saying why I changed, I once argued with the approval of Farai Beerhal. I told you the operator was facing difficulties in running the business but you approved, so let it be fair. The Caravan is failing so give him also the chance to operate,” said Chikwangwani.Muchokwa, who chairs the finance committee, dismissed allegations that the Council once owed Caravan Park some money and said that should not stop him from clearing his arrears for him to get the lease approval.“We never had that kind of arrears with Caravan Park especially directly to sadza, and that alone does not guarantee him to be given the lease. We should stick to the rules and regulations of the lease, not considering the CSR. Or if we are to give him, let’s just give him a one-year lease,” said Muchokwa.Ward 8 councillor Alderman Richard Musekiwa supported Muchokwa, saying rules were rules and that they should be followed.“We should follow operational rules. Traditionally we used to have a one-year lease and now why is he applying for three years? Given he is facing difficulties in paying his dues, we should give him one year if we are to consider his application,” said Alderman Musekiwa.Women’s Quota councillor Easther Zishiri said since council had a working relationship with council, they were supposed to stick to one year, not three.“I do not agree with three years but considering the issue raised in this house that we also benefit from him, I think we should at least give him one year while waiting for our business unit to become active, then we take over,” said Zishiri.Concluding the debate, Masvingo City Council Mayor Alec Tabe said before turning down the request various factors should be considered.“Before we say no to the three-year lease we should consider the challenges he is facing. It could be because of our mismanagement of how the licences operate. One has a sports bar but operating as a night club, so how do we expect night clubs to make money when we are not enforcing the law?“Secondly, there was a time where this house turned down his proposal when he wanted to make renovations and make the place marketable,” said Tabe.The full council resolved that Caravan Park be given a three-year lease.