Residents,
under the banner of the Karoi Residents Trust, are accusing the council of
financial misconduct, claiming the funds were drawn from the estate account
without proper authorisation or oversight and used to bankroll corporate wear,
allowances and accommodation for a 28-member delegation to the week-long event.
The
expenditure, which included daily wardrobe changes and allegedly inflated daily
allowances of US$200 per person, sharply contrasts with the standard
ministerial cap of US$60. The accusations come at a time when the council is
reportedly failing to meet basic service delivery obligations and is in arrears
with staff salaries.
However, the
Karoi delegation’s size and spending have sparked outrage locally.
In a
strongly-worded letter addressed to Hurungwe District Development Coordinator
Andrew Tizora, and copied to the Auditor General, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption
Commission (ZACC), Provincial Affairs Minister Marian Chombo, and the council
itself, the residents called for an urgent and independent investigation.
“The council
allegedly used US$35 000 from the estate account without a council resolution
or ministerial approval,” wrote Mr Sabastian Kumbirai Chinyemba, a
representative of the Karoi Resident’s Trust.
“Furthermore,
the finance committee meeting that recommended the use of funds was held
unconstitutionally in the finance director’s office. The quorum was
questionable and the required 48-hour notice period was not met.”
The letter also
accused the council of reckless spending, citing that each delegate received
new corporate wear for each day of the event, a luxury few in the small farming
town can afford.
In a separate
interview, ZNOART Mashonaland West chairperson, Mr Liberty Chitiya bemoaned
urban councils’ extravagant spending.
“The issue of
service delivery vis-à-viss spending by KTC is a very sad situation which is
happening due to several reasons, largely being the neglect of the numerous red
flags on public financial transparency being raised by residents’ associations.
“The situation
is the same across all urban local authorities in the province, which are
riding on residents’ and ratepayers’ money as they are paying for councils’
allowances instead of service provision. There is pure neglect of the 70:30
rule which guides Public Finance by the urban councils, and their lack of
responsibility is there for all to see as there are rumours of them diving into
estates accounts without ministerial approval, in violation of the Urban
Councils Act, Section 300 . . .
“The end result
is worsened unaccountability of public spending to conceal their lavish
spending of ratepayers’ money in fairs such as the ZITF year after year. There
is nothing beneficial to the ordinary residents from such fairs as the
management and councillors are the ones pocketing hefty allowances of around
US$200 per day against the set US$60 per day,” he said.
He blamed the
kind of wasteful spending resulting in residents going for days without refuse
collection, unattended sewage flowing, no running tap water and long grass
punctuating every open space in our towns.
Council workers
have also joined the chorus of criticism.
Workers’
committee chairperson Mr Andrew Bangura condemned the extravagance, pointing
out that frontline workers remain unpaid, and basic services like waste
collection and road maintenance were deteriorating.
“It’s
disheartening to see this level of spending while workers go without salaries
and service delivery is practically collapsing,” Mr Bangura said.
But, council
officials have dismissed the allegations.
Council
spokesperson Mr Precious Nharara claimed the residents were misinformed.
“There were
many financial commitments around the time of the ZITF, and some expenditures,
including those related to the fair, are being misrepresented,” Mr Nharara
said. “Council encourages open engagement and remains committed to
transparency.”
Finance and
investment committee chairperson, Clr Muzondiwa Sawanje ,echoed the sentiment,
suggesting the outrage was being stoked by “mischievous narratives”.
“All council
business is conducted through formal committee structures. Any legitimate
concern should be raised formally through these channels,” Clr Sawanje said.
Meanwhile,
sources within the Local Government and Public Works Ministry confirmed that a
systems audit was underway to assess the legitimacy of the expenditure.
If the findings
corroborate the residents’ claims, the case could lead to formal investigations
by ZACC, and possibly disciplinary actions or criminal charges.
As the audit
unfolds, Karoi residents are calling for accountability and for those
responsible to face the consequences.
“This is about
more than just money. It’s about trust,” said Mr Chinyemba. “If public funds
can be used like this without checks, then no service is safe.”
Karoi has also
made headlines following purging of senior management, with over five having
been appointed to the post of town secretary in less than three years. Herald
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