BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) is investigating councillors implicated in a recent bribery junket in the capital to influence the tender process of the city’s parking management.
Mayor Solomon Mguni and his deputy, Tinashe Kambarami, on Wednesday said there would be no sacred cows in the latest anti-corruption drive.
Mguni and his deputy had earlier used a full council meeting to apologise to residents for bringing the city into disrepute, particularly on corruption.
Recent reports accused Harare City Council (HCC)’s EasyPark of allegedly pampering some Bulawayo councillors in order to influence the tender process.
According to the latest council minutes, BCC is not taking the matter lightly at a time when the local authority is under spotlight over corrupt tendencies involving city fathers.
“The chief internal auditor was currently seized with the issue of the four councillors, who were allegedly funded by a parking management company to visit Harare. In her view, (town secretary Sikhangele Zhou) said it would be proper to await the chief internal auditor’s report before implementation of any resolution,” the report read.
The issue of the four councillors arose during discussion of the tendering process of the parking management company in the city.
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The parking management services tender in Bulawayo was cancelled in 2012 by the BCC despite having granted it to Megalithic Marketing Private Limited. The BCC cited a “shambolic tender” process in cancelling the tender.
This resulted in a long court battle, with the company contesting council’s decision to cancel the tender.
In April last year, BCC shortlisted Ducretion Logistics (Private) Ltd and Lauvax Trading Private Limited trading as Propark for consideration to manage the city’s parking system, but the deal was never finalised.
In the latest council report, city fathers resolved to award the parking meter tender to Ducretion Logistics and Lauvax on a joint venture basis, but only after complying with requirements of the Joint Ventures Act.
