Masvingo residents fume over council spending, threaten street action

MASVINGO - RESIDENTS have come out guns blazing accusing the local authority of reckless amid reports that more than $20 000 was spent on councillors and top management's allowances during workshops held last month.

According to a statement by Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Association (Murra), the city fathers and their top management spent $21 026 in travel and subsistence allowances in workshops held in Kariba, Zvishavane and Mushagashe training centre just outside Masvingo.

Angry residents took a swipe at the local authority saying they must be accountable for public funds instead of abusing rate payer's money.

"The amounts being claimed by councillors and top management officials are not only shocking but scandalous for the local government leaders who are preying on hard-earned ratepayers' money," residents fumed..

"Workshops are usually funded by inviting donor organisations that re-imburse all transport and subsistence expenses on top of meeting accommodation and food expenses at lavish hotels for participants.

The city fathers should therefore account for the substantial amounts they claimed at a time service delivery for residents is next to a dog's breakfast," residents charged.

"It is their obligation to account for their actions especially at a time citizens do not have running water in their taps for the better part of the day, garbage has become an eyesore in the residential areas due to lack of refuse collection, while the state of roads is deplorable.

"The resident body would like to call upon the city fathers to justify the huge amounts of allowances they are awarding themselves before the residents do what they know best," the residents lobby group added.

However, Masvingo city deputy mayor Darlington Chiwara hit back accusing the assocaition of ‘singing for their supper'.

"This group (Murra) is just singing for its supper from international donors. They have an agenda against council and residents of Masvingo…they are just trying to make noise out of nothing and they should not be taken seriously," said Chiwara.