Monday, 25 September 2023

NEW HRE COUNCILLORS BLOW US$20K IN TWO DAYS

HARARE councillors reportedly blew approximately ZWL$100 million (US$20 000) in two days on two workshops held for the finance and information and publicity committees.

The revelation comes hardly a week after the local authority announced that it is failing to pay workers’ salaries due to a tight financial situation.

Reports reaching NewsDay over the weekend indicated that 12 councillors in the finance committee attended a two-day workshop in Kadoma, where they pocketed ZWL$4 million (US$800) each last week.

The amount is reportedly twice the normal daily allowance of US$200.

Another two-day workshop was held in the same mining town, where a similar number of councillors in the information and publicity committee took part.

Reports from Town House also indicated that the councillors have spiritedly been pushing to attend committee meetings even when they are not members.

A source, who attended one of the meetings in Kadoma, confided in NewsDay that workshops where hefty allowances are claimed have become cash cows for councillors.

“Councillors who attended the Kadoma workshop on finance pocketed ZWL$4 million each which is almost US$800 and this is not normal,” he said

“Some of the councillors have been insisting on attending several committee workshops and they want to pass that resolution.”

The Harare City Council has 10 committees with 12 members each and it is likely to spend close to US$200 000 on these scheduled meetings.

If a councillor attends 10 twoday workshops a month, they will pocket almost US$8 000.

The revelation comes barely a week after Harare town clerk Hosea Chisango indicated that council had for the first time in several years failed to pay its workers.

In an interview yesterday, Chisango confirmed the Kadoma workshops, but said he was not aware of the figures mentioned by the council sources.

“When councillors attend workshops, they have standard allowances they get, but on the Kadoma workshop, I am not aware of the figures,” he said without giving further details.

Combined Harare Residents Association acting director Reuben Akili said Harare City Council should prioritise service delivery and not workshops.

“It’s just a matter of priority. Yes, induction workshops are important, but there should be a balance. When they (councillors) give themselves hefty allowances at the expense of service delivery, then it becomes a problem,” he said.

Harare Residents Trust Association executive director Precious Shumba yesterday said he hoped the newly-elected mayor Ian Makone would cut down on unnecessary expenditure.

“The City of Harare is an extravagant institution where policymakers lack an appreciation of the citizens. Holding too many induction workshops outside the capital is evidence that they have failed to improve the city’s community halls, which should be enough venues for workshops,” Shumba said.

“We hope that the mayor will cut down on unfruitful expenditures. While inductions are necessary, they must not be the excuse to lavish each other with unsustainable allowances. More resources should go towards installation of a new billing system for Harare.”

The hefty allowances come as Harare is facing an acute water crisis, among other service delivery problems.

Service delivery has also been a thorn in the flesh for the city fathers, with the central government attacking urban councils for failing to deliver on their mandate to ratepayers.

Harare Metropolitan Provincial Affairs and Devolution secretary Tafadzwa Muguti recently threatened to introduce commissions in urban councils which fail to deliver on their mandate.

Muguti has promised to clamp down on councils which are awarding themselves hefty allowances at the expense of service delivery.

“So you would rather do one workshop for three days than a scenario where today you are in Kariba and tomorrow you are in Masvingo,” he said during the swearing-in ceremony of Chitungwiza councillors last week. Newsday

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