Chegutu rapped for prioritising cars

MDC-ALLIANCE-run Chegutu Municipality is set to sink at least $235 000 in three vehicles for top managers, with the vehicles expected to be delivered before end of year.

The town’s finance director Mr Tongai Mandude revealed the development during the council’s 118th special full council meeting held at Town House last week.

Mr Mandude had requested that council grant them an additional $40 000 provision to top up the budgeted three Isuzu KB double cabs which had all initially been pegged at $195 000.

“Our initial budget of each car was $65 000 per each vehicle, but due to changing parallel market rates, the last time we inquired the price had increased to $72 000,” he said.

“Therefore, we request a provision of $40 000 from the central administration account that had been budgeted for the mayor’s house at a cost of $50 000.

“The provision of the $40 000 is to ensure that in the event that prices go up again, our budget would be well catered for.” The resolution to buy the vehicles was passed by the outgoing council, although the former city town officials had put in conditions that management would prioritise service delivery first.

Council resolved to grant management powers to borrow the $40 000 despite a handful of councillors having opposed the decision, saying service delivery should be key. Ward 9 councillor Mr Edward Dzeka said council should take a leaf from central Government on vehicles for officials.

“Government stopped the purchase of vehicles for Members of Parliament, prioritising combating the cholera outbreak and that should be the case here,” he said.

“The additional $40 000 could be channelled towards service delivery.”

Deputy mayor Clr Maphios Shumba also raised the red flag over the issue.

“It paints a bad picture for council to buy these new vehicles in our first days in office and residents might fail to interpret this correctly,” he said.

The Chegutu Municipality is struggling to rehabilitate its water and sewer reticulation system with the agricultural town being hit by a cholera outbreak early this year.