Town clerk given 30-day ultimatum
BULAWAYO councillors have given Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube a 30-day ultimatum to either implement resolutions that were passed by the councillors or face the axe, Sunday News has established.
The councillors have over the past few months accused Mr Dube of stalling development by failing to implement key council resolutions. Councillors had to summon Mr Dube and his directors on Thursday last week where they gave him 30 days to have implemented the resolutions or face the chop. The Mayor, Councillor Martin Moyo, confirmed the development saying it was in the councillors’ rights to demand answers when they felt management was stalling development in the city.
“Councillors are really concerned hence the decision to take this route. We cannot really be shooting ourselves in the foot because on one hand we declare that the city is open for business but it takes us 14 months to implement such key investment resolutions. What councillors are saying is that they will not accept any lethargy and negative attitudes that frustrate investment and I believe they were right in demanding answers and coming up with such a telling decision, we now will wait and see the progress within this set period,” said Clr Moyo.
According to a council confidential report the councillors accused council management, among other things, of shutting out investors and making potential investors lose confidence in the city’s call for investment.
“We have observed with great concern the gross inefficiency in council operations in view of the February 2017 investment prospectus and Harry Allen Golf Course town house development. Of particular concern is the unacceptable and anti-development pace with which various development opportunities have been handled.
“We lay this blame on the town clerk for failure to fulfil his functions as prescribed in the Urban Councils Act. Some of the negative effects of this inefficiency are, slowing down development of the city, shutting out investment, making potential investors lose confidence in the city’s call for investment, denies locals and ratepayers job opportunities and makes a mockery of councillors’ capacity to run the city and foster development,” reads the report.
The councillors further noted that Mr Dube’s inefficiency contradicts the Government’s push that Zimbabwe is open for business.
“It also denies the City of Bulawayo potential revenue which is critical at improving service delivery and exposes serious shortcomings in the council’s management and raises fears that this could be an act of sabotage against the city’s residents and Central Government,” reads the report.
Council sources who attended the Thursday special council meeting revealed that the meeting dragged from 2pm and ended after 9pm with councillors baying for Mr Dube’s blood.
“At the end of the meeting councillors resolved to give Mr Dube 30 days to have implemented council resolutions and further complete the process of land alienation in the city which does not require procurement but simply needs allocation,” said the source.
The town clerk was also reportedly ordered to convene special council meetings to seek guidance from the councillors in the 30-day ultimatum. Some of the projects that will be concluded within the 30-day period include the Ascot Race Course re-development, which according to the report, Mr Dube had initially said is a long term project. Others include community facilities in Cowdray Park, Pumula South, Emganwini, Magwegwe North Extension, Luveve Five Extension, Mahatshula, Emhlangeni, Mahatshula East, Woodville and Parklands Extension.
“It was agreed that most of the projects just needed co-ordination of departments hence the feeling that the town clerk was failing to supervise his team. What nearly angered the councillors during the meeting is when one of the directors claimed some of the projects they had advertised in the prospectus was just a means of testing the market but they were not ready to implement them,” said the source.
The city came up with the investment prospectus after the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing had noted that local authorities were inundated with unsolicited bids from local and foreign investors hence the order for the councils to advertise development, service delivery and partnership opportunities.