Chinhoyi Municipality’s works committee has come under fire for allegedly concealing vital information on the progress made by a firm awarded a tender to rehabilitate the town’s ageing sewer system, amid reports of bribe-taking by some councillors.
This emerged at Tuesday’ full council meeting where City Fathers demanded a progress report on the $2,9 million projects.
Councillor Simeon Gotami said: “We want a progress report today. We are not even aware whether contractors signed the deal. Councillors, save for only two, know whether the contractors are on site or not. We are unaware of the programme of work.
“We are virtually in the dark over the entire goings-on surrounding the sewer overhaul tender which involves millions of dollars which residents would have to foot because this is a loan we are using to rehabilitate our reticulation system.” Other councillors Blackmore Nyangairo and Damson Mapfumo castigated council management led by acting town clerk Webster Tembo for concealing the deal.
They proposed that all councillors tour sites earmarked for revamping the sewer system to establish the situation on the ground.
The finance committee should also be involved in the withdrawal of projects funds from the bank, noted the council report.
Councillors accused two other named councillors sitting in the works and procurement committee of having received bribes and convening secret meetings with officials from the two contracted firms, Destiny Ventures and Johnson’s Designs and Installations (JDI), engaged to carry out civil/mechanical and electrical works respectively.
The two councillors, who were not present at the meeting, were also accused of engaging council consultants, Brian Colquhoun Hugh O’Donnell and Partners, behind their backs and making unilateral decisions on behalf of full council.
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The project funds, administered by the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe, were disbursed by the Local Government ministry under the Public Sector Investment Programme last year.
