The Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Mike Madiro has angered Chipinge Town councillors after he visited the local authority’s offices and toured its projects without informing the town fathers.
Madiro came last weekend and held meetings with the
secretariat headed by the acting town secretary James Mutemera. After the
meeting, he then went on a tour of projects including roads that are being
rehabilitated.
Excluded from Madiro’s programme were four MDC councillors
who remained after the recall of others namely; town chairman Lovemore
Mukwapati, Haruchemwi Vushe Nhengu, Sarah Mlambo and Elijah Mugidho.
Mukwapati confirmed the issue to Chipinge Times and said
that what the Deputy Minister did was unprocedural.
Madiro said it was an impromptu visit.
“I did an impromptu visit after various cries from Chipinge
residents. I wanted to see for myself the natural state of affairs as opposed
to being given wrong information. I really wanted to be informed on what is
going on than a formal approach. A formal visit where all stakeholders are
called may be done in the course of time. If they want me to visit, they can invite
me and I will come,” said Madiro.
Mutemera said Madiro’s visit was not official as he was
passing by while touring roads in the district.
“The invitation did not come from council as the minister
was just touring roads in the nearby districts. It was not an official meeting
and it was not a council meeting. He wanted a delegation to assist him touring
the roads,” said Mutemera.
“How can a Deputy Minister visit a town council and engage
the secretariat without the city fathers’ knowledge? Madiro must have courtesy
and protocol. We are surprised that our senator Dorothy Mabika was also part of
the programme.
“They held a meeting with the secretariat and councilors
were not invited. That is not how it’s supposed to be done,” fumed Mukwapati.
Mabika could not be reached for comment as her mobile phone
was not reachable.
Also attending the meeting were Zanu PF District
Co-ordinating Committee chairman Themba Munaiwa, Senator Mabika, resident
associations representatives, council workers and a roads contractor Bitumen.
Madiro told the meeting that his visit was in response to
the residents’ outcry over bad work emerging from the rehabilitation of the
town’s roads.
He ordered council to closely monitor the contractor to
make sure that he does a good job. Masvingo Mirror
0 comments:
Post a Comment