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Masvingo council’s attached vehicles gather dust

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MASVINGO City Council (MCC)’s cars attached last year over a $3,5 million debt it owes workers in outstanding salaries are gathering dust

MASVINGO City Council (MCC)’s cars attached last year over a $3,5 million debt it owes workers in outstanding salaries are gathering dust at the Deputy Sherrif’s office, it has emerged.

By Tatenda Chitagu Own Correspondent

The local authority is gobbling $40 000 a month in car hire charges to the Central Mechanical Department (CMED).

The vehicles which were seized after the workers won a labour dispute where council was ordered to pay them their outstanding salaries, include immediate-past mayor Alderman Femius Chakabuda’s mayoral Mercedes Benz, five cars for directors, a kombi, Pajero, a Mazda Eagle twincab, several Nissan Hardbody and Mazda pick-up trucks, graders, front-end loaders, tippers, concrete mixers and UD tippers.

The Deputy Sheriff also seized several computers and office furniture.

Initially, fire tenders, refuse collection trucks and ambulances were also impounded, leaving service delivery and normal council business in limbo. But they were later released on humanitarian grounds to avoid compromising service delivery.

Six months down the line as the feuding parties wait for the determination of the case at the High Court, the vehicles were literally rotting at the Deputy Sheriff’s office, with no maintenance taking place. Council will have to fork out money to service the vehicles in the event it wins the case.

Asked if the council was negotiating for an out-of-court settlement plan with the workers to retrieve the cars, Masvingo mayor, Hubert Fidze said he was yet to get a briefing from town clerk Adolf Gusha.

“Concerning that issue and a way forward, I am yet to get a briefing from the town clerk,” Fidze said.

Gusha could not be reached for a comment.

Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers’ Association (Murra) said it was better for council to seek the release of the cars while paying the workers in batches rather than resorting to hiring cars at high a cost per month.

“Our humble submission is that it is better for council to engage the workers in an out-of-court settlement and start paying them in batches to secure the release of the cars than resort to hiring cars which all the same is expensive,” Murra programmes co-ordinator Anozivaishe Muguti said.