BINGA Rural District Council chief executive officer, Joshua Muzamba has been accused of blocking the collection of an ambulance donated to the Health ministry for Binga Hospital by confiscating all its papers, claiming the vehicle was donated to the local authority.
BY SILAS NKALA
Binga North MP, Prince Dubeko Sibanda, claimed that, in 2014, he sourced an ambulance for Binga Hospital, but the vehicle is still stuck at the Health ministry’s offices at Mhlahlandlela Government complex in Bulawayo, as officials continue to haggle over its ownership.
“The ambulance arrived in the country about five months ago. Muzamba told the donors that the ambulance has to be registered under council and not the ministry” Sibanda said.
He said Muzamba took away the vehicle’s papers from the Health ministry officials leading it remaining unregistered to date.
Sibanda alleged that Muzamba, a Zanu PF central committee member, blocked Binga Hospital from accessing the ambulance for political expedience.
Muzamba yesterday confirmed the ambulance donation, but denied allegations of blocking its transfer.
“The best people to talk to are the ministry of Health officials, they might have more details. We only know that there was an ambulance donation made, as a council we only provide an enabling environment for the receiving of donations. What we know is that the ambulance will be based at Binga Hospital,”he said.
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Matabeleland North provincial medical director, Nyasha Masuka also confirmed the standoff, and said the ambulance was still stuck at Mhlahlandlela Government complex since it was donated in August last year after Muzamba took the papers, claiming the vehicle was donated to his council.
“The ambulance was donated by Christian Youth Volunteers Association Trust (CyVaT), together with a Danish partner to the ministry of Health. It came together with the one donated to Lupane’s St Lukes Hospital. Lupane collected theirs within two weeks of the donation, but Binga has been deprived of their ambulance by Muzamba, who took all the papers and now he is failing to register it,” he said.
“People of Binga are currently suffering yet an official is holding onto ambulance papers. We are the ones who received and even cleared the ambulances, but now the CEO claims the donation was to the council.”
