Council declines free use of White City stadium by Zanu PF

Bulawayo City Council recently declined the application by the ruling Zanu PF for use of the White City Stadium for free.

President Robert Mugabe is going to address the youth interface rally at the stadium on Saturday.

According to latest council report Mayor (Councillor Martin Moyo) read out the letter from the Provincial Administrator's office pertaining to this matter and it was noted that the request was for the free use of White City Stadium for a Presidential Youth Interface rally and that the event was of a party political nature.

"Council policy was to offer free use of its premises/ equipment only in respect of national events as part of own its contribution towards the national cause. The proposed event, whilst it featured the state President, it was clearly a political rally featuring one political party and only a section of the community. The view was that this was not a State occasion and therefore did not qualify for the usual privileged status in as far as the hire charges were concurred," reads the latest report.

"There was a tendency by the Provincial Administrator's office to ask for and expect free use of Council facilities even on perceived non state occasions, and Council had to shoulder the full cost of running and maintaining such facilities. It was noted also that whilst damages were normally secured against cash deposit, this did not apply in the case of State occasions and Council was therefore exposed in that respect. Indeed Council had suffered losses on this account in the past. Council should desist from a selective approach as this may create bad precedence."

The minutes states that in response to a question the Town Clerk pointed out that in terms of Green Book for state occasions, any public event involving the state President was deemed a national event and must of necessity be accorded a befitting status.

"The prevailing view was that Council as the custodian of the people's property should ensure that such property was well looked after for the benefit of all its residents," reads the minutes.

The council resolved that the recommendation of the Health, Housing and Education Committee be not adopted and instead, that the request for free use of the White City Stadium for the Presidential Youth Interface Rally (on a date to be advised) be declined in view of financial constraints.

"The premises be availed for the proposed event on the normal hire charge inclusive of the appropriate security deposit against damages," reads the minutes.