…Councilors demand building material be returned to MP
Kimberly Kusauka
Masvingo councilors yesterday demanded that council management return Rujeko Secondary School building material bought by Masvingo Urban Member of Parliament (MP) Jacob Nyokanhete using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) until due process is followed.
Councilors Sengerayi Manyanga and Against Chiteme in a full council meeting held on November 1 at Town House grilled council management over the building material, accusing Nyokanhete of seeking political mileage.
They ordered that council management return the building material to Nyokanhete since it was received without consulting them.
“The material should be returned to the MP because due process was not followed. I am the chairperson of the public works committee and was supposed to know about these things.
“These things are now being used to gain political mileage because now we hear that an MDC MP has donated this or that, which is not the truth of the matter,” Manyanga said.
Supporting Manyanga, Ward 8 councilor Against Chiteme said councilors were supposed to be in the know since they are the ones who lead at council.
“We are the councilors, therefore we were supposed to be informed. The building material should be returned to the MP,” Chiteme said.
Masvingo Mayor, Cllr Collen Maboke professed ignorance on the issue and said he was not aware of any building material received by council from Nyokanhete, adding that if it was for council he would have officiated on the event like he always does.
“I was called when the city received an ambulance as a donation from Kernen therefore I can freely acknowledge that we received an ambulance but for the building material, I was never informed and I do not know anything about it,” said Maboke.
Contacted for comment, Nyokanhete scoffed at the allegations that due process was not followed and said part of the building had already been used at the school.
“What due process are they saying was not followed when I was given the bill of quantities by council back in April? 30 000 bricks were delivered early October at the site by N.Richards on my behalf and they have already been used to construct the blocks that are there now.
“If they want to return the material, what then will happen when they have already used the bricks at the site? I got the bill of quantities from Engineer Kudzai Mbetu on behalf of council and it is the one I used to purchase the material, not what they are saying,” Nyokanhete said.
A financial statement released to this publication by Nyokanhete indicated that 668 bags of cement, 11 window frames and 12 door frames were delivered at City Of Masvingo Central Stores, while 30 000 common bricks were delivered at the construction site-Rujeko Secondary School.
“I wonder if they come to these meetings drunk because what they are saying is not what is on the ground and if they want to return the material, where would they return it to, since N.Richards delivered it?” Nyokanhete said.
Masvingo Town Clerk, Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa said he was not in the full council meeting and was waiting for the Chamber Secretary to avail him with minutes of what was discussed so he catches up with the issues.
“I was not present at the council full meeting yesterday, I was represented by the Chamber Secretary and unfortunately he is not in the office, so I cannot give a comment,” said Eng Mukaratirwa.
Currently, two classroom blocks are nearing completion and are at roofing stage.
