Council bosses trips gobble $300 000

15 Nov, 2015 - 00:11 0 Views

The Sunday News

THE financially hamstrung Bulawayo City Council has been forced to suspend all non-sponsored trips by its top officials amid revelations that in just 10 months, top executives gobbled more than $300 000 on trips.
This comes at a time the local authority has been constantly saying its finances were minimal, calling on residents to improve in their paying of rates and rentals, noting that this had a negative effect on service delivery.

According to a council confidential report, since January 2015, senior officials within the six council departments had spent a combined figure of $329 795. The town clerk’s department has the highest chunk of allowances at $159 473, followed by the chamber secretary at $69 566. The engineering services department has gobbled $26 525, the health services $32 535, housing and community services $10 268 and the financial services has used $31 428.

“The financial director (Mr Kimpton Ndimande) recalled that from time to time heads of departments submitted requests to attend workshops, seminars or conferences related to their specific duties or training. Some of these would be funded by the organisers, while others would not, necessitating council to foot the entire cost of the trip. In view of the prevailing council’s financial constraints and in consultation with the acting town clerk (Mrs Sikhangele Zhou), all non-funded trips have been suspended with effect from 14 September 2015 . . . until council coffers improve,” reads the council report.

However, the suspension does not include attendance of statutory or regulatory meetings or seminars including those requested by the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Local Government Association.

During the debate on the developments, the minutes reveal that most of the councillors were worried at the rate senior officials were going on trips.

“The deputy mayor (Councillor Gift Banda) called for a mature and responsible approach on this matter. As a senior committee, the general purposes committee should be objective, fair and level headed in its analysis of such issues.

He was concerned that the generation of trips had of late, deteriorated into disregard for reasonableness and financial prudence. The deputy mayor therefore supported a blanket suspension with exceptions, and then each submission will be considered on individual basis,” read part of the minutes.

Confirming the latest developments, the city’s mayor, Clr Martin Moyo, said this was a means of cost cutting by the local authority. In May this year, the Harare City Council was forced to shelve all trips by its managers citing the need for them to reduce spending so as to cater for other pressing council responsibilities which include the paying of workers’ salaries.

Meanwhile, the local authority is owed $115 009 693 through unpaid rates and rentals, with residents owing
$ 65 265 438, industry and commercial entities $46 075 553 while Government departments owe $3 668 702.

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