Harare City Council has held two workshops at Kadoma Ranch
Motel in the past three weeks, blowing thousands of ratepayers money at the
expense of service delivery. The jaunts are in defiance of a Government ban on
out-of-town trips. Council last month held two training workshops at the Kadoma
hotel where each of the attendees pocketed between $5 100 and $25 000 in
allowances for the three days.
For each workshop, council paid allowances to at least 60
people of varying ranks. The money was released at a time when the least-paid
worker (Grade 16) was getting a basic monthly salary of $270 a month.
This also comes at a time when the mayoral mansion, with
all the necessary facilities to host such workshops locally, is slowly turning
into a white elephant.
In September, the Ministry of Local Government, Public
Works and National Housing banned the holding of council workshops and seminars
outside their jurisdictions to minimise the abuse of funds.
According to Circular No. 12 of 2019, such trips can only
be held with the approval of the permanent secretary.
The circular reads: “The Honourable (minister) has placed a
restriction on the holding of workshops, seminars, training and similar events
outside of the council jurisdiction in the case of urban councils and outside
the administrative district in the case of rural district councils unless
authority to hold a function at an alternative venue has been sanctioned by the
permanent secretary.
“Any council wishing to hold a function outside the limits
given should make submission to the permanent secretary in writing giving
justifications for same.”
However, The Herald established that Harare City Council
did not apply to the ministry to conduct the two Kadoma workshops.
In a statement last week, The Ministry of Local Government,
Public Works and National Housing’s acting permanent secretary Colonel Joseph Mhakayakora (Rtd) confirmed that no
approval was sought by council.
He said council was defying the directive. “The Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and
National Housing has not been informed of City of Harare’s intention to hold a
workshop in Kadoma.
“The normal procedure is that they seek approval from the
honourable minister in line with the local authorities Circular No. 12 0f 2019.
“In this instance no approval was sought,” he said. The Finance and Development Committee workshop ran between
October 17 and 20.
Another workshop was also held at the same venue between
October 24 and 27.
A number of councillors and other senior officials enjoyed
the priviledge of attending both workshops and pocketing thousands of dollars.
However, council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme had this
to say:
“The workshops were never banned. You cannot speak on
behalf of the minister. You must not put words into the minister’s mouth.”
Mr Chideme was among the first batch of 57 council
officials and five presenters selected to attend the first meeting.
The list included Town Clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango,
Mayor Herbert Gomba, Deputy Mayor Enock Mupamawonde, 11 other councillors,
eight heads of departments, 29 managers and supervisors, five presenters,
Mayor’s driver, Town Clerk’s driver, Mayor’s Aide and the staff bus driver.
Investigations by The Herald show that drivers and aides,
who are the lowest ranking attendants on the list were paid $5 100 while the
management got between $10 000 and $25 000.
The allowances were paid directly into the bank accounts of
the 57 officials and five presenters despite the fact that all the hotel bills
and transport expenses had been paid by council.
Workshops and seminars have now become a cash cow for
council top brass at a time the low ranking ones were wallowing in poverty,
hoping to, at least, get their meagre salaries in time.
Harare City Council is among the local authorities accused
of abusing ratepayers’ funds after it recently spent a whopping $1,2 million on
hotel expenses, travelling and out-of-pocket allowances in a space of three
months. Herald
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