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NewsDay

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Manyenyeni touches off fresh storm

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HARARE mayor Bernard Manyenyeni has re-ignited his fight to have the capital shed-off its funding of sports teams and channel the resources to service delivery, claiming his efforts are facing “stiff resistance”.

HARARE mayor Bernard Manyenyeni has re-ignited his fight to have the capital shed-off its funding of sports teams and channel the resources to service delivery, claiming his efforts are facing “stiff resistance”.

BY RICHARD CHIDZA

Harare mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni
Harare mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni

Manyenyeni has not hidden his disgust at the figures council is pumping into its football team in particular, but yesterday once again stoked debate after it emerged the city’s basketball team had received financial support for a trip to Swaziland.

“We have no money to buy diesel to collect refuse around the city. Some areas have gone for weeks. The football team blows $2 million a year from ratepayers. I have been shouting for 30 months, HEAR?” Manyenyeni told his followers on social networking site Facebook yesterday.

Harare has continuously grappled with poor service delivery and the spectre of an outbreak of water-borne diseases remains real given the failure to consistently collect refuse.

Manyenyeni told NewsDay he was now exasperated.

“I have continued to face resistance to my idea of better resource allocation. I do not need to give any names, but you can see from my post what I am talking about. Too many people have vested interests. There is resistance, but we have said we will not sink together. The space is there for those with opposing views,” he said.

“The city’s basketball team is off to Swaziland in the next few days for a tournament. Trip costs are indicated as follows: amount (i) transport $10 808, (ii) accommodation and meals $23 500, allowances: (15 players) $16 200, technical (team) $9 000, councillors and seven executives $15 380, affiliation fee $300, game expenses $1 796 and contingency 10% $7 698.”

Manyenyeni has argued the city has more deserving issues and could either cut spending on sports or pull out altogether, drawing brickbats from his critics, including some from his own MDC-T party, which holds the majority of seats in council.

Amid reports that sitting executives are draining the local authority dry through hefty salaries and allowances, Manyenyeni has engaged in cat-and-mouse games with Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere over council leadership contracts.

Last year, Manyenyeni suspended acting town clerk Josephine Ncube over a salaries scam, but Kasukuwere reversed the suspension.

Kasukuwere and the Harare mayor have also crossed swords over the botched recruitment of career banker James Mushore as the city’s chief administrator.

Harare is now saddled with an over $125 000 salary debt to Mushore after Kasukuwere vetoed the appointment. The High Court ruled that Mushore had a right to his salary.