Emmanuel Chitsika
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Masvingo Urban councilors have implored Masvingo City Council management to first consult policy makers before approval of donations concerning city coffers.
Speaking during a full council meeting, newly-elected ward 4 councilor Alec Tabe quizzed management on the ‘so-called donations’ by the local authority towards various government and Zanu PF-linked occasions.
Tabe even asked if there was also another term to be used on the funds that have found way out of council purse funding such programmes which he said need to be deliberated on before as most of them are being brought before councilors after the money is already gone.
“Can management furnish us with details on this issue of donations towards that has become so common in our council minutes? Can’t there be another term to explain that. There is need for management to consult councilors before approving some of those donation requests.
“Some of the so-called donations have provoked residents in our wards as residents seek explanation on the initiatives of which as councilors, we won’t have any,” said Tabe.
Ward 7 re-elected councilor Richard Musekiwa suggested that since some of the donation requests are sought by politicians, it would rather be wiser for council management to refer the matters to councilors who are also politicians to deliberate on them before approval unlike a scenario where the matter is tabled before councilors for ratification long after the funds are disbursed.
“Since those people who come applying for donations are politicians, it would rather be better for you management to consult councilors who are also politicians to deliberate on the matter unlike a situation in which the requests are brought before councilors after the funds are disbursed,” said Musekiwa.
However, responding to the requests by councilors, Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa said they would try to forward any requests for donations to councilors in the future.
“As management, maybe what we can do in the future is that we would inform the people applying for such donations to first forward their requests to councilors before approval of such.
Masvingo City Council has on a number of occasions donated towards state functions with the latest council minutes of June 20, 2022 revealing that council had received donation requests towards the official ground breaking ceremony at Bikita Minerals Spodumene Mining Project though it was over ridden by events and the donation did not set off.
Also a similar request was made by Masvingo District Development Coordinator Roy Hove for groceries to be used at Nemamwa during Zanu PF second secretary’s party business meeting with traditional leaders though it also did not materialize because it was long overdue.
Council also donated for the hosting of a lunch by Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira.
