… It’s unconstitutional
…We have other priorities
Brighton Chiseva
MASVINGO –Local authorities in the province have rejected the directive from central government where each council has been ordered to pay for a fire tender to a certain supplier using devolution funds at a very inflated price.
Masvingo City Mayor who is also a lawyer, councilor Collen Maboke said the directive by the central government is unconstitutional since the funds are from the devolution funds where they have to consult residents on what they should be used.
“The directive is unconstitutional, devolution funds are public funds and we have to consult residents before we do anything, so they cannot just tell us what to buy before we consult the residents,” said Maboke.
He went on to say a fire tender was not a priority for Masvingo City since they recently got one saying priority should be towards refuse compactors.
“Apart from it being unconstitutional, a fire tender is not our priority as a city council. We have refuse collection challenges and a refuse compactor is a better purchase option. We recently got a fire fighter, so we cannot buy another one. Our residents are worried about refuse collection and they would understand us even if we bought a compactor without talking to them,” added Maboke.
He however said they were yet to sit and deliberate on the matter as council and was sure his colleagues shared his views.
Zaka Rural District Council (RDC) chairperson Cornelius Mapuranga said Zaka District had more pressing issues than a fire tender.
“We cannot purchase a fire tender as it stands because we may never use it or it may take time to use it here in Zaka. What we need here is road construction equipment like graders, our roads are damaged and we are failing to maintain them because we don’t have the equipment,” said Mapuranga.
He went on to say as a district they suffered heavy losses in cattle and could be affected in the next faming season therefore there was need to capacitate the District Development Fund (DDF) so that it helps the local people.
“We lost a number of cattle in the district which poses a challenge in the next farming season. So the central government should at least equip DDF so that they can help the communities,” he added.
Chiredzi Town Council Acting Town Secretary Engineer Wesley Kauma said the local authority recently purchased a fire tender which is awaiting shipment and would want to use the funds for other needs.
“We are currently waiting for RBZ to release funds for shipment of our fire tender which we have already purchased outside and we would request to use the funds for other things like graders since we have a shortage in road equipment,” said Eng Kauma.
Mwenezi RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Albert Chivanga said he cannot question a directive from above but if allowed to choose they would not choose a fire tender but would go for other urgent needs.
“I cannot comment on a decision made by my principals. However, if we are allowed to choose, I wouldn’t go for a fire tender but something more urgent like road equipment which we are in dire need of,” said Chivanga.
Masvingo Residents and Rate Payers Alliance spokesperson Godfrey Mtimba echoed Maboke’s sentiments saying the directive defeats the idea of devolution and that their organization will not let council buy the fire tender as it was not a priority for now.
“That directive is centralization instead of devolution, it’s unconstitutional and in the meantime Masvingo City has fire equipment and cannot buy another one while there are other areas that need attention,” said Mtimba.
However, Gutu and Chivi RDC CEOs Alexander Mutembwa and Tariro Matavire said since it was a constitutional requirement they would buy the equipment.
Chiredzi RDC CEO Ailes Baloyi said the idea is a noble one though if given a choice to choose, they would prefer finishing other projects to fire tenders.
“It’s a noble cause to have a fire tender as we encounter some fire incidences. However, given a chance to choose, we would like to finish some projects we have already started,” said Baloyi.
The fire tender issue torched a storm after the Ministry of local government wrote a letter to city, town and rural district councils where the ministry indicated that it was procuring fire tenders from Belarus on behalf of all local authorities with the money being deducted from their devolution fund allocations over a period of 12 months.
“The funds to procure the equipment will be deducted from the 2022 Devolution allocations and will be done over a period of 12 months starting March 2022. The cost of each fire tender is US$ 464 296.
“It is therefore advisable for local authorities to reprioritize the Devolution funds to accommodate the cost of the fire tenders.” read part of the letter from the ministry.
The principle of devolution stipulates that funds be released from central to lower tiers of government with beneficiaries deciding on areas of key priority to use the funds on but that has turned to be a nightmare and the opposite as central government and council management have taken the onus on them to determine where to use the disbursed funds on.
The other challenge has been the late disbursement of the funds derailing progress on projects undertaken.
…Deserted Masvingo devolution-funded boreholes: case of policy inconsistency?
During the run-up to the March 26, 2022, local government and parliamentary by-elections great stride were made on part of aspiring candidates embarking on a number of borehole drilling schemes or projects in areas of contest in a move some have thought is part of the rhetoric electioneering campaign projects which soon cease to be carried on once elections are over.
In Masvingo province the two House of Assembly Zanu PF aspirants and eventual winners Munyaradzi Zizhou (Chivi South) and Master Makope (Mwenezi East) openly admitted to ‘partly’ using devolution funds towards borehole drilling schemes while at the same time claiming to channelling own resources towards the initiative.
In Masvingo Urban constituency where four wards (3, 4, 5 and 7) were at stake to replace councillors recalled by MDC Alliance’s Douglas Mwonzora, devolution funds were reportedly used towards drilling of boreholes while the District Development Fund (DDF) water rig was used to drill some of the boreholes.
What has made Masvingo case a more peculiar is the manner in which the projects were undertaken that is in terms of seeking council approval towards the projects while at the same time the funding remains a mystery as the person in charge of the provincial development initiatives Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Dr Jefta Sakupwanya has on record given contrasting answers concerning the projects.
During one of the campaign rallies in ward 5 where Zanu PF candidate Hakinstone Chimwai was contesting, politburo member Lovemore Matuke openly declared that the project was being undertaken after approval by Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira.
“Your councillor here asked for solar-powered boreholes and minister of state has approved. We have also approved that and soon you will have them. I heard council has increased rates by 400 percent, so if they continue to rise, you just close the tap and go to the borehole,” claimed Matuke in March.
However Dr Sakupwanya vehemently denied that devolution funds were being used towards propagating party projects.
“Devolution funds cannot be used for campaigns. What happens is that there are annual programmes of drilling three boreholes per ward to be undertaken under the supervision of Dr Masuka (Minister of Lands) where government buys water rigs so that the programmes can be implemented for purposes of ensuring water security.
“There is no way devolution funds could be diverted towards campaigns unless it is meant to meet the needs of the community as would have been identified by council,” he said.
Quizzed on the fact that council through Mayor Collen Maboke has said the boreholes were sunk wantonly without their blessing, Dr Sakupwanya promised to investigate the case as he said council should be aware of the projects since devolution funds are channeled into their coffers.
“So who is behind the drilling of those boreholes if council declines such? Council is supposed to be in charge of devolution programmes and if they say they are not aware of it, then who assumes responsibility? Devolution fund is given to council, so it is impossible to say there are programmes that are done under the facility with council not knowing about it.
“Devolution is meant to meet the needs of the community. As the provincial secretary, I do not have any funds because the money is at councils. I am just there to monitor the expenditure and see to it that the funds are rightfully used for the intended purpose. I would despatch a team to monitor all those allegations. Even the president (Emmerson Mnangagwa) does not condone disorder. We strongly disown such indiscipline as we promote order,” said Dr Sakupwanya.
However three months down the line the boreholes are lying idle with residents continuing facing acute water shortages in and around the city. Rujeko suburb which falls under ward 7 faces recurrent water pipe bursts, residents going for many hours with dry taps despite looking at the solar and water storage tanks stands and the borehole at Jazire shopping centre proving helpless.
This publication later on (two months after the elections in which Zanu PF fared dismally in Masvingo urban to CCC) asked Dr Sakupwanya why the boreholes are not being utilized to ease the burden of water shortages off residents and he said the president is the one who has got the saying on the boreholes and thus they would function after his blessing to do so.
“Presidential borehole drilling scheme is the president’s programme which is going to benefit people in and around Masvingo especially those in the rural areas.
“Why do you want to focus much on the urban instead of the rural set up? There is too much wide coverage in urban than rural set up,” he added.
Asked then in March on the arrangement in which the DDF was drilling boreholes aspiring election candidates were using as part of their campaign trail, Masvingo DDF provincial coordinator Marasa Hamudi Gutukunuhwa said the authority was just carrying out its mandate to serve the community.
“As DDF, we are just carrying out our programmes as we are mandated to. I don’t know if there are individuals who might want to take advantage of such to campaign for political posts,” said Gutukunuhwa.
The principle of devolution of equipping lower tiers of government with resources and ensuring semi-autonomy remains a mystery especially in the wake of central government interfering in local authority operations with the responsible minister dictating pace on and how the projects are conducted while the ordinary citizenry have no saying on the projects of importance in their respective areas.
In some cases council management would determine on behalf on intended beneficiaries areas of priority to be undertaken using the funding.
Recently there was a public outcry nationwide after local government minister July Moyo’s ministry ordered all local authorities to submit to his directive to purchase fire tenders from President Mnangwagwa’s Belarusian counterpart and friend at the cost of US$ 462 000 each using devolution funds despite some local authorities have budgeted the funding towards other projects.
