SUSPENDED Mutare mayor Brian James yesterday rubbished recent claims by the city’s town clerk Obert Muzawazi that he was blocking a local bank from lending money to the local authority to facilitate salary payments.
REPORT BY OBEY MANAYITI
Muzawazi told visiting Minister of State in the President’s Office Didymus Mutasa on Monday that James was sabotaging the deal.
Council workers have gone without salaries for the past four months because the local authority has no money.
“It is no secret that the bulk of the city labour force has not been paid for some two to four months. Serious cashflow problems bedevil the council, but one needs to know why and how to provide possible solutions,” said James.
“Apparently, at the briefing I was accused, in my position as suspended mayor, of preventing the council from raising funds from various banking institutions within the city to cover their wage deficit.
“It is no good council constantly blaming me for blocking access to funds. It is an ability that I just don’t have, and perhaps both the councillors and management need to look more closely at their own accounting practices,” he said. “Banks and lending institutions are only prepared to take risks up to a certain level and in so doing demand relevant cashflows etc in return. Mutare City Council has, to the best of my knowledge, failed to provide these.”
James was suspended by Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo in January last year over allegations of misconduct.
