BCC surrenders equipment to Harare

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has raised serious concerns over what it says is the continued clandestine strategic transfer of the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games equipment to Harare.

This is despite President Mugabe and Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa's assurances that the equipment would remain in the city as part of the games' legacy.

The BCC has since resolved to release all the equipment to the Ministry of Sport and Recreation as "it was feared that council was taking care of equipment that would eventually all be taken elsewhere", according to the latest council minutes.

"The director of housing and community recalled (22nd June, 2016) that after successfully hosting the AUSC Region 5 Under 20 Youth Games, which had been held in the city in December 2014, there was mention that besides the renovated buildings, the equipment procured for the games was going to remain in the city as a legacy of the games as enunciated by the President. The same sentiments had been echoed by Vice-President Mnangagwa on the 3rd July 2015 at a ceremony to hand over the completed infrastructure as well as equipment," reads the council report.

Speaking at a function to hand over the games' equipment to the council on July 3, 2015, VP Mnangagwa said the sporting equipment should remain in Bulawayo as part of the games' legacy.

According to the council minutes, problems started this year when the Sport and Recreation Ministry would borrow some equipment for use in Harare promising to return it to Bulawayo, but never returned.

"The latest request was made in a letter dated June 13, 2016, but it was stated that all the furniture had to be released to the Ministry and was not coming back. In view of the above, it was feared that council was taking care of equipment that would eventually all be taken elsewhere. It might be prudent for council to ask the Ministry of Sport (and Recreation) to remove all their equipment as at the end of the day it would be very difficult to account for all the equipment if it is being taken one by one," read the minutes.

"This might also suggest that the 'donation' had been a gimmick to store this equipment in council facilities. We could no longer be certain what would go next. The generators at Barbourfields and White City had not been connected; maybe for the same reasons that they would go," the council minutes read.

The acting town clerk Mrs Sikhangele Zhou said there was no clarity on the removal of the equipment from council premises, with some of the items being taken without prior notice. Attempts to commit the Ministry of Sport and Recreation on this matter, particularly on the legacy aspect, had been in vain.

"This then raised the question of accountability, hence the proposal now to release all the items to the Ministry so that council is left with no obligation."

Councillor Silas Chigora was concerned that council had, in fact, no legacy to talk about despite the expectations during and after the games that the city would enjoy the legacy of the games through the donated equipment.

The reality, argued Clr Chigora, was that council's only benefit was in respect to refurbished infrastructure.