City engineer Tawanda Gozo
…implements fake road works for damage control
Diana Gondongwe
Barely
a month after Masvingo City Council erected road works signs and built a detour
from the very short strip of road from Bradburn Street to the Nyaradzo Life
Assurance Company building close by, the local authority has failed to make any
progress amid revelations that city fathers blew away the money intended for
the project.
a month after Masvingo City Council erected road works signs and built a detour
from the very short strip of road from Bradburn Street to the Nyaradzo Life
Assurance Company building close by, the local authority has failed to make any
progress amid revelations that city fathers blew away the money intended for
the project.
City
fathers were embarrassed recently after questions were raised as to how the US$43
000 given to council by the life assurance company back in 2016 for the
construction of the road had been spent.
fathers were embarrassed recently after questions were raised as to how the US$43
000 given to council by the life assurance company back in 2016 for the
construction of the road had been spent.
Council
then hurriedly put up structures to make it appear as if they were beginning to
construct the road in earnest, but it has since emerged that it was all about
damage control and a desperate attempt to save face.
then hurriedly put up structures to make it appear as if they were beginning to
construct the road in earnest, but it has since emerged that it was all about
damage control and a desperate attempt to save face.
In
the last full council meeting, city engineer Tawanda Gozo delivered a
lacklustre report claiming that the latest plans to surface the road had been
stalled by the prevailing fuel shortages.
the last full council meeting, city engineer Tawanda Gozo delivered a
lacklustre report claiming that the latest plans to surface the road had been
stalled by the prevailing fuel shortages.
In
an earlier full council meeting, Gozo had stammered and gave a lame response
that rains had prevented the implementation of the project for the past three
years after Ward 10 Councillor Sengerai Manyanga had quizzed him about his
appalling handling of the project.
an earlier full council meeting, Gozo had stammered and gave a lame response
that rains had prevented the implementation of the project for the past three
years after Ward 10 Councillor Sengerai Manyanga had quizzed him about his
appalling handling of the project.
Town
clerk Adolf Gusha also stood and gave assurances that the project was going to
be done without any further delay.
clerk Adolf Gusha also stood and gave assurances that the project was going to
be done without any further delay.
Council
insiders, however, told TellZim News the money was no longer there as it had
long vanished in the corridors of corruption.
insiders, however, told TellZim News the money was no longer there as it had
long vanished in the corridors of corruption.
“They
no longer have the money. It’s all gone and they don’t know what to do. Those
barriers and signs they erected on the Nyaradzo road are just an attempt to save
face. It is difficult to replace the vanished money using other council funds
because the project is unbudgeted for. It’s a scandal and heads would indeed
have rolled if our country was not inherently corrupt,” said the insider.
no longer have the money. It’s all gone and they don’t know what to do. Those
barriers and signs they erected on the Nyaradzo road are just an attempt to save
face. It is difficult to replace the vanished money using other council funds
because the project is unbudgeted for. It’s a scandal and heads would indeed
have rolled if our country was not inherently corrupt,” said the insider.
TellZim
News has fielded questions to the office of the Minister of Local Governance
Public Works and National Housing, July Moyo but they had not yet been
responded to by the time of going to print.
News has fielded questions to the office of the Minister of Local Governance
Public Works and National Housing, July Moyo but they had not yet been
responded to by the time of going to print.