Source: Residents threaten to sue Chiredzi Town Council over audit report – NewsDay Zimbabwe November 2, 2017
Chiredzi residents have threatened to sue the Zanu PF-led Chiredzi Town Council to force it to release its audit report.
By Garikai Mafirakureva
According to Chiredzi United Residents Ratepayers’ Association (CURRA), corruption at Chiredzi town is continuing unabated despite several threats by Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere to fire the entire council after an audit report produced a few years ago unearthed massive corruption.
CURRA chairperson Josephat Tizirai said his association is going to take the town council to court. He also said council should justify what its workers were doing, as roads were being serviced by Tensor, a private contractor.
“Another issue of concern to us is, council gave a tender to Tensor, but council workers are found doing work on the same roads.
Recently council was fined $900 for flouting tender procedures. Who is going to pay that money, Chiredzi Town Council or us as ratepayers or the person who bungled?
“We demand servant leadership and management to run the affairs of public offices, people who are accountable to the residents, who are geared to move mountains with them.
“This council is good at keeping public business close to their chest, and without the blessing of residents, who are key stakeholders. The underlying thing is that, they do their business corruptly. They should avail the Nhamo-led investigation team report done some few years back,” he said.
Contacted for comment council engineer Wesley Kauma professed ignorance over the allegations, saying there were two projects going on at the same time, one being undertaken by council, while the other involved Tensor.
“I don’t know what these people are talking about. We are patching Chiredzi Drive and Tensor is resurfacing Kingfisher Street, so they are confusing the two projects,” Kauma said.
When quizzed further why council had prioritised low-density roads when the busiest roads were West and Worth — both in the high-density suburbs, Kauma became evasive, saying council had put gravel on every high-density road, but low-density roads were badly damaged by the rains during the last rainy season.
Chiredzi has been accused of diverting funds collected from home seekers for the servicing of 2 000 stands at Makondo Extension after collecting $900 from each beneficiary, which led the new suburb to remain unserviced for the past eight years.
Councillors also stand accused of allocating themselves several stands, leading Kasukuwere to send a team of auditors whose findings are yet to be released to the public.
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