Plumtree residents are reportedly up in arms against council officials after the latter allegedly received a donation of four service vehicles from a local businessman and later falsely claimed to have bought the vehicles for $34 000.
The residents said council officials had failed to produce receipts of purchase and a letter of clearance from the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development to authenticate the vehicle purchase claims.
“We have demanded to see the receipts of the purportedly bought vehicles and the letter of clearance to buy the vehicles from the Ministry of Local Government, Urban and Rural Development, but the local authority is failing to produce the documents. We suspect foul play,” said a resident who declined to be named.
The residents said the alleged benefactor (name supplied) donated the vehicles in a bid to influence the council’s future tender processes.
Residents’ Association chairperson Paulos Ncube yesterday said they were recently shown the four vehicles which the local authority claimed to have bought.
“I am not privy to the donation issue, but what I know is that the council told us about four vehicles which it claimed to have bought,” said Ncube. “We went to the town clerk asking to see the receipts, but the town clerk said he was not able to produce receipts as that was the duty of councillors.
“So we still do not know if the vehicles were bought or donated.”
Ncube said they were shown two trucks and two small cars and the council officials told them about $34 000 was spent in acquiring the vehicles.
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“We are saying the local authority must sell some of the vehicles and buy refuse collection trucks, an ambulance, pay workers who are owed more than three months’ pay, and improve infrastructure such as roads and public buildings,” another resident said. Contacted for comment, Plumtree town secretary David Luthe said: “I am busy. My mother is ill and if you want to talk on issues of my work, call the office.”
