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Cllr Madzoke

Michael Magoronga Midlands Correspondent
Kwekwe residents have accused city fathers of corruption in the manner in which tenders are being awarded. Kwekwe Residents Association secretary-general Mr Alex Homela said they had since written to Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo asking him to investigate allegations of graft by management and councillors.

Mr Homela said there was lack of transparency in the way council award tenders and that levels of corruption at the Civic Centre had reached unprecedented levels that needed the minister’s intervention.

“We need the minister to send a commission of inquiry to carry out investigations at the town house, especially on the tendering processes. Service delivery has been in a deplorable state of late due to high levels of corruption by the top management,” he said.

“Council has a huge backlog of salaries and wages, yet they are buying vehicles for themselves every now and then. There is need for clarity from management as to where they are getting money to buy top-of-the-range vehicles while the employees go for months without salaries.”

Mr Homela said council workers had gone for close to five months without receiving their salaries, adding that refuse had not been collected in some places for some time.

“If you look at the tender awarded to a Bulawayo company to run the abattoir, there are some anomalies. Why was it given to a Bulawayo company when we have so many companies in Kwekwe that can run the abattoir? It shows a hidden motive behind the awarding of the tenders,” he said.

Kwekwe Mayor Councillor Matenda Madzoke said council could only deal with a legitimate executive, not an individual who purported to represent the residents.

“Let me call upon Kwekwe residents to come up with a formidable residents’ association that we can work with. We need an executive, not an individual who comes masquerading as an association for the residents for personal gains,” he said.

Clr Madzoke said while concerns raised by Mr Homela could be looked into, he needed to present them as an individual.

“I entertain him as an individual not as a KKRA leader,” he said. “Every time I meet him he raises some issue, but I entertain him as an individual just like anybody else. What we need as council is an association armed with a renewed mandate and a constitution, as well as an executive, then we can start talking.”

Clr Madzoke said the setting up of a proper residents’ association was long overdue. He said council had no case to answer.