BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO
Chitungwiza Municipality has puchased two refuse trucks and two ambulances from the $32 million devolution funds it received from government recently.
Mayor Lovemore Maiko told NewsDay yesterday that the refuse trucks and ambulances, purchased from Croco Motors and Dulys, respectively, would be delivered mid-June.
“We received $32 million as devolution funds to procure service delivery vehicles. We then used part of the money to buy United States dollars at the auction floor using the prevailing rate to purchase two refuse compactors from Croco Motors pegged at US$119 000 each,” Maiko said.
“Following tender procedures we took on refuse trucks, we are in the process of procuring two ambulances from Dulys Holdings at a total cost of $12 900 000. The ambulances will be used by council’s four clinics because none had such a vehicle. We are expecting all the vehicles by mid-June.”
Despite purchasing two refuse trucks, Maiko said their fleet would still not be enough for effective service delivery as the dormitory town needs 20 refuse trucks.
“We currently have six refuse trucks against the demand of 20. The current six are outdated such that when they are carrying garbage, they will be littering on roads. We need modern-day refuse compactors,” he said.
Maiko said service delivery was at times affected by fuel shortages.
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“Although we procured two more vehicles, we still have a challenge. At times, we do not have fuel supplies because the service stations we have here mostly sell fuel in foreign currency, yet the council charges in local currency. When there is no Zimbabwe dollar fuel, we end up not collecting refuse,” he said.
Meanwhile, the council, through the Zimbabwe National Road Administration, is set to benefit from a $231 million facility from the emergency road rehabilitation programme phase one fund.
The council has since received $23 million of the amount, which is 10%.
“The funds are not directly channelled to council’s account, but Zinara’s. We are supposed to get $231 million, but it has so far availed $23 million (10%). The procurement process of everything to be used is done at provincial level,” Maiko said.
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