THE Chinhoyi Municipality has resolved to kick out all
employees occupying council houses who own properties in the town.
The move, council argues, will pave way for disadvantaged
workers, who have not yet been allocated land or bought stands, to have decent
accommodation.
Councillor Blackmore Nyangairo told a full council meeting
held on Tuesday at the Town House that the local authority would, as a matter
of urgency, allocate council houses to deserving employees not entitled to any
housing stands in Chinhoyi.
“The audit committee recommended that standing contracts on
employee housing must be withdrawn and renewed. Houses should be awarded to
those not entitled to any housing stands in the system,” Nyangairo said.
According to minutes of the audit committee, propositions
reached at a meeting held on May 20, 2019, show that the municipality pushed
for the compilation of an updated property inventory, tenants and debtors’
lists to plug financial leakages and corruption.
Council was urged to put in place strategic measures to
ensure routine maintenance of its properties, most of which were in a
dilapidated state.
The municipality recently resolved to parcel out stands to
scores of its workers in lieu of payment of salary arrears dating back to 2011.
This latest development renders many of them ineligible to
continue occupying council houses.
Workers who spoke to NewsDay yesterday lamented the
prospect of being “condemned” to renting from private individuals, arguing that
the move would put them on a collision path with landlords in light of
council’s lethargy to pay wages and salaries timeously.
Workers say council was victimising them for demanding
their dues.
Meanwhile, the full council resolved to pursue the option
of billing some ratepayers in foreign currency for water, sewer reticulation
and other ancillary municipal
services.
Chamber secretary Abel Gotora said a nostro bank account
had already been opened with a local bank, while council awaits approval from
the Local Government ministry to charge forex on service providers who insist
council settles its debts in hard currency. Newsday
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