Staff Reporter
MASVINGO – With the economic situation worsening in Zimbabwe and the populace struggling to pay council bills and putting food on the table, the city council is proposing to buy Apple iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphones for its managers.
The finance and general purpose meeting which sat on January 21, 2019, agreed that the city treasurer be instructed to procure conditions of service cellphones for management with heads of departments getting Apple iPhone 7 valued at US$ 3 088 while deputy heads of departments get Samsung Galaxy S9 valued at US$2 708.
Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA) spokesperson Godfrey Mtimba said they are appalled on the levels of extravagance showcased by the city council.
“This is the same city council which failed to purchase a small water pump component costing US$4 000 and the city went without water for more than a week.
“It’s just a case of misplaced priorities and outrageous greediness. They say they do not have money and service delivery is plummeting but they want to spend over US$20 000 on cellphones, this is an abomination to say the least.
“The water challenges are refusing to go away and the city is faced with a lot of challenges which require discipline on finances not to be spendthrifts like we are seeing,” said Mtimba.
