…As council allegedly purchases top-of-the-range vehicles for HODs
Melinda Kusemachibi
Bikita Rural District Council (RDC) is embroiled in a scandalous vehicle purchasing spree that has seen the local Bikita Residents and Ratepayers Association (BIRRA) drafting a petition letter seeking redress and clarity over the move by the local authority.
In a letter dated April 29 copied to various authorities among them Bikita RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Masvingo resident minister, District Development Coordinator (DDC), President’s office, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and Bikita West Member of Parliament undersigned by acting BIRRA secretary Mark Mutengani, the residents seek redress as to why council resolved to embark on such a move at a time service delivery is deteriorating.
“It is our displeasure to present our discontentment on the resolution passed by our council to the effect that you agreed and purchased seven top of the range vehicles for Head of Departments (HODs) of which six of them have already been delivered. To add disappointment, you went further to privatize the vehicles with yellow plates under the so-called ‘loan facility’.
“It is our displeasure to learn that our council has abandoned its main purpose of service delivery to go on a self-enrichment route by pampering its employees with brand new top of the range GD6 Toyota Hilux vehicles worth over US$ 350 000. From the best of our knowledge, council has no ambulances, refuse collection truck, fire brigade truck not talking of the general road maintenance and sewer reticulation but you had the guts to buy seven luxury vehicles for personal use ignoring the already available new fleet available,” read part of the petition letter.
The residents also expressed displeasure over the manner in which the RDC handled council debtors with the former surrendering debtors to debt collectors and the resident association felt the RDC management was ‘terrorizing residents’ as the generally poor residents were forced to incur legal costs after having already failed to honor their bills.
BIRRA feels the intervention of the relevant authorities to which the letter was copied would bring sanity at the local authority while at the same time the RDC would be compelled to lay bare their 2022 budget and show where the purchase of such vehicles was slated.
Contacted for comment on the matter Bikita RDC CEO Peter Chibhi said residents do not have the power to block resolutions that the local authority would have passed as the law allows them to purchase such vehicles while at the same time alleging the undersigned association does not exist.
“Residents tell their councilors to bring issues to council but have no mandate to force council to rescind a resolution. It is like citizens forcing government to reverse Acts of Parliament. The process was done above board in line with cabinet circular on executive vehicles dated March 20, 2018. Bikita RDC is a public institution scrutinized by the Auditor General’s office by way of External Audit.
“We are audited yearly. The vehicle were budgeted for from 2016 to 2021, and they were bought in 2021 so they cannot be in 2022 budget and 2022 rates cannot be reviewed downwards because the procurement of the vehicles was done in 2021 and not 2022,” said Chibhi.
He however said residents owe council a lot of money dating back to 2020.
“Residents owe the local authority ZWL$10 million dating back to 2020 and we engaged lawyers to recover the debt. Residents want service and they must pay for the service. Water and sewer in Bikita is a mandate of Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA). We bought six pick up service vehicles on a loan facility as provided for in the RDC Act.
“Service delivery in Bikita is done accordingly as the roads are rehabilitated, refuse is collected three times a week, boreholes are rehabilitated and new boreholes are drilled, the six vehicles are condition of service delivery to be used for five years for council business in line with council policy and government circular,” added Chibhi.
However a source privy to matter who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the petition comes at a time when poor service deliverly is rocking the authority.
“The petition is very true, poor service delivery rocks at the growth points. They gave residents unserviced stands, where there are no sewer systems, roads and the refuse compactors do not even go there leading residents to dump waste everywhere.
“The council is good as nothing, they are after ratepayers’ money. They are living luxurious lives at the expense of residents, they bought cars with the residents’ money and privatized them,” said the source.
Most local authorities countrywide have been accused of failing to prioritize the welfare of residents and ratepayers as a result of misplaced priorities among them purchasing luxurious vehicles, hefty salary packages and allowances among other issues while residents are at the receiving end with acute water shortages and failure to ensure efficient refuse collection.
