Unending tales of woe stalk councils
AS PER norm, local authorities were faced with the same old problems in 2017, with most still not being able to provide basic services such as trafficable roads, refuse collection and portable water. Councillors and officials hogged the limelight during the year for engaging in corruption.
For the second year running, Harare City Council failed to appoint a town clerk.
There was controversy over the shortlisting of Hatfield legislator and economic advisor to MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Dr Tapiwa Mashakada for the post.
Also shortlisted for the job is Dr Cainos Chingombe and Gweru town clerk Mrs Elizabeth Gwatipedza.
The three are part of eight people interviewed, out of over 60 who were eyeing the post.
Dr Mashakada, a former Minister of Economic Planning and Investment, said he was ready to relinquish his seat in Parliament after Government challenged his candidature.
The country’s Constitution does not allow politicians to become administrators of local authorities.
The Local Government Board is still to decide and this has prompted Harare Mayor Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni to question the composition of the Local Government Board. The issue will roll into 2018. Harare was successful in appointing three substantive directors whose names were approved by the Local Government Board, with finance controller Mr Tendai Kwenda being appointed the new finance director.
Harare water distribution manager Engineer Hosiah Chisango, who is now acting town clerk, was appointed water director, taking over from Engineer Christopher Zvobgo, who retired last year.
Marondera housing director Mr Edmore Nhekairo was appointed housing director for Harare.
The Harare salary probe made headlines, resulting in the suspension of acting town Clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube and three other directors on allegations of financial abuse.
According to an audit report sanctioned by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, seven executives continued to earn between $12 000 and $21 000 from October 2014 to June 2015, as opposed to $10 450 for the highest earner stipulated by Government.
This, the report indicated, prejudiced the city of over $550 000.
Harare’s decision to sell part of Harare Gardens to hospitality group, African Sun (Pvt) Ltd, shot to prominence, with residents opposing the move while the city argued that the redevelopment would yield economic benefits.
The city expects to rake in $200 000 in annual rates from the deal.
Harare residents were part of newsmakers in 2017 after boycotting the city’s 2018 pre-budget consultation meetings, saying their input had never been reflected in council’s financial plans.
Residents were also in the news for their failure to pay rates as it emerged that Harare City Council (HCC) is owed over $700 million.
Harare’s decision to engage debt collectors torched debate, with the city succumbing to pressure by residents associations to cancel Wellcash Debt Collectors contract.
The debt collectors were only re-engaged following a sharp decline in revenue.
But Harare did not make news for the wrong reasons only.
The city commissioned refuse trucks and road maintenance equipment bought under the $30 million loan facility accessed from local banks for recapitalisation.
The city bought 30 refuse compactors from one of the world’s leading automotive manufacturing companies, FAW Group Corporation, for $3,1 million and the first nine trucks were delivered, together with five rollers worth $546 000.
More pieces of equipment, which include 10 skip trucks, 10 tipper trucks, three graders, one chip spreader, one jet patcher, 25 utility trucks and the outstanding compactors were said to be at various stages of delivery.
On the national front, Association of Rural District Councils (ARDC) president Dr Killer Zivhu was unveiled as the new leader of Zimbabwe Local Government Association (Zilga) during the year, following the expiry of Bulawayo mayor Martin Moyo’s term.
Urban local authorities and rural district councils make up Zilga and rotate the presidency every two years.
Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) president Cllr Manyenyeni was appointed Dr Zivhu’s deputy.
Corruption allegations by council officials and councillors also made headlines in 2017, with Chitungwiza hogging the limelight after Government suspended its mayor Phillip Mutoti and all 24 councillors for allegedly corruptly allocating themselves tracts of land worth over $7 million.
A three-member commission led by retired civil servant Mr Madzudzo Pawadyira was appointed to preside over the dormitory town’s affairs.
Chitungwiza Municipality had 14 MDC-T councillors, including Mr Mutoti and 11 Zanu-PF councillors.
Councillors from Chiredzi Town were also among the news makers over allegations of corrupt activities.
They allegedly allocated themselves serviced residential stands in the Makondo area under Tshovani Township Extension, which they would re-sell at high prices.
In Mutare, the local authority could have been prejudiced of millions of dollars by some of its senior employees who allocated themselves several commercial and industrial stands.
Most of the stands were not being levied, amid reports that senior management could have also prejudiced the cash-strapped council of over $200 000 through fake payments for the construction of a school in Chikanga.
Failure by local authorities to adhere to the 70:30 service delivery to employment costs ratio also made headlines in 2017, with Government announcing that it would carry out compliance audits.
Government later acceded to a request by local authorities to reclassify labour costs as part of service delivery in council budgets.
Golden handshakes for local authority bosses was a major issue in 2017, forcing Government to ban all local authorities from paying gratuities to executives and senior employees.
This followed outrageous demands in exit packages and reports of rampant abuse of funds in most councils.
Government blocked the payment of a $300 000 golden handshake to outgoing Victoria Falls treasurer, Mr Thembinkosi Khumalo, saying council employees were becoming richer than the local authorities themselves.
Harare paid more than $5 million to departing directors.
The appointment of Cde July Moyo as the Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister was another major event in local governance.