Melinda Kusemachibi
Bikita West legislator Elias Musakwa has promised to take the issue of the vehicle purchase scandal that rocked Bikita Rural District Council (RDC) earlier this year to parliament for debate in pursuit of sanity in public accounts.
Contrary to reports that Musakwa chaired a meeting in Bikita to deliberate on the matter, the legislator said the gathering he was at on June 2 focused on 2021 budget feedback but that is when residents raised their issues.
“I did not see it. I only read about it in newspapers but if it true, what council did is unacceptable. The meeting we held was about the feedback of 2021 Budget not to discuss about the ‘corrupt acts’ of Bikita RDC. However residents brought in the issue and we urged them to engage their councillors, council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to discuss the issue. As for me I am bound by the statutory laws of the parliament,” said Musakwa.
He went on to say that he will debate it in parliament and engage with the Ministry of Local Government Public Works and National Housing.
“Since the RDC is under the Ministry of Local Government, l will engage with the ministry over the issue. As part of my roles as an MP, I will also try to debate it in parliament and come up with a possible solution over the issue so as to stop corruption which is allegedly being said to be taking place at Bikita RDC,” added Musakwa.
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts chairperson Dexter Nduna said that if the residents wrote a petition to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) definitely they will get a positive outcome.
“If the residents wrote to PAC, yes they will definitely come but if they wrote generally they will not come,” said Nduna.
Bikita RDC has off late been rocked by several allegations culminating to public accounts abuse after purchasing six top-of-the-range Toyota GD6 vehicles for Heads of Departments (HODs) and privatizing them.
Bikita Business Association together with Bikita Residents and Ratepayers Association wrote a petition to Parliament on June 1 2022 raising an issue of poor service delivery rocking in Bikita because of corruption.
