The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Municipal Reporter
THE Rehabilitation and Prevention of Tuberculosis (RAPT) has been embroiled in a rental arrears scam after applying for a 50 percent waiver from the Bulawayo City Council claiming incapacitation while at the same time allegedly demanding rentals in foreign currency from its tenants.
RAPT was formed in 1954 and was originally meant to provide clinical services to TB patients but its council-owned facility in Mpopoma was largely turning into a white elephant owing to donors pulling out from funding the organisation. According to a council report, the organisation wrote to the local authority requesting a 50 percent write-off of its arrears amounting to $84 369 noting that they were struggling to pay off the debt as well as service the community due to lack of donor funding.
“At the time of this request RAPT had an outstanding balance of $84 369 and 50 percent of that is $42 184. The organisation is accruing an average bill of $4 834 per month for water, sewerage, rental and refuse collection. RAPT also stated that the continued economic downturn and a shift from funding priorities for bilateral, multilateral and other funding institutions and the Covid-19 outbreak exacerbates resources mobilisation efforts of the organisation,” reads the report.
However, investigations by Sunday News revealed that the organisation is no longer operating at the facility but have sublet the property to one KEI Laboratories that is running a community clinic and old people’s home. According to a lease agreement signed between REI Labs and RAPT, the former was mandated a monthly rental of US$900 to the latter. In a letter to KEI Labs, RAPT executive director Mrs Ellen Ndimande confirms the organisation’s endorsement of the lease agreement.
“We acknowledge receipt of your application to lease six blocks within the RAPT premises in Mpopoma. I am pleased to inform you that the RAPT board accepted your application. Please find enclosed the Lease Agreement with terms and conditions of your tenancy for your consideration. The lease shall upon signature of the agreement deposit with lessor the sum of US$900 being equivalent of one month’s rent,” reads the document.
Further, investigations revealed that RAPT in August last year wrote to the local authority requesting and was granted a downward review of rentals from $250 to $200. They also applied for authority to sublet their property so as to be able to pay their arrears, while they had already gone on to illegally sublet the property.
Sunday News is also in possession of a tax invoice date stamped 5 June 2019 detailing that REI Labs had by then paid the non-governmental organisation a total of US$14 800. Contacted for comment Mrs Ndimande was initially reluctant to comment on the matter saying it was confidential and not for public consumption. She later conceded that they had leased the property to KEI Labs.
“The lease agreement you are talking about is no longer valid but yes, we have a lease agreement with KEI agreement although I cannot divulge to you how much they are paying. As for the application to Bulawayo City Council that is a confidential matter which I believe is not for public consumption. I also cannot comment on the other matters which you are bringing to me as I am not of that capacity,” said Mrs Ndimande.
KEI Labs director, Mr Edward Muringani declined to comment on the matter saying he was of good standing with RAPT and BCC and was not aware of the matter.
“As far as I am concerned KEI Labs is in good standing with both RAPT and BCC, I am not aware of that matter which you are talking about,” said Mr Muringani.
Ward Nine councillor, Donaldson Mabutho, under whose area the community centre falls under, said while he was not aware of the matter, there was a need to investigate and get to the bottom of it.
“The issue you are talking about I have not had a sight of the document since I do not sit in the Finance and Development council committee but this coming Wednesday, we shall have a full council meeting, where I will be privileged to see the document. If it is true that this is happening, we really have to take action and see where things have gone wrong. If there is misconduct in anywhere council has to use its authority and correct it accordingly,” said Clr Mabutho.
