News / National
Govt fumes over 'dead' council projects
28 May 2021 at 02:43hrs | Views
GOVERNMENT has said it is working tirelessly to resurrect "dead projects" and recover abused public funds which it will channel towards developmental projects in the capital, Harare.
Harare has abandoned several projects despite receiving funds from donors and central government.
These include the Coca-Cola market project, Tsiga market in Mbare, Coventry commuter omnibus holding bay, City Sports Centre market and Mupedzanhamo phase one and two projects.
Another abandoned project is the Shawasha mall that was set to be built at the open space next to Mupedzanhamo market in Mbare.
Most of the abandoned projects were meant to decongest the city by providing facilities to informal traders, who had become an eyesore in the central business district.
"We have so many projects we are probing now to say where did the money allocated for those projects go to," Harare provincial development co-ordinator Tafadzwa Muguti told NewsDay.
"We have an example of the Coca-Cola market project, where Treasury gave the City of Harare money. We are told some of the material was stolen, so we are going to probe those issues so that we know what happened."
Muguti said there was a deputy director in charge of project development in his office and her role was to probe those accounts.
"There is also a provincial treasurer to monitor and audit all local authorities quarterly. We will also probe the Mbare urban renewal project and we are auditing all the projects," he said.
"We have actually crafted a way forward in terms of resuscitating these dead projects. They should start itemising all dead projects, for example in houses, why they stopped and if the reasons are criminal, criminal procedures start."
Muguti was appointed last year to oversee developmental issues in the capital.
Harare has abandoned several projects despite receiving funds from donors and central government.
These include the Coca-Cola market project, Tsiga market in Mbare, Coventry commuter omnibus holding bay, City Sports Centre market and Mupedzanhamo phase one and two projects.
Another abandoned project is the Shawasha mall that was set to be built at the open space next to Mupedzanhamo market in Mbare.
Most of the abandoned projects were meant to decongest the city by providing facilities to informal traders, who had become an eyesore in the central business district.
"We have an example of the Coca-Cola market project, where Treasury gave the City of Harare money. We are told some of the material was stolen, so we are going to probe those issues so that we know what happened."
Muguti said there was a deputy director in charge of project development in his office and her role was to probe those accounts.
"There is also a provincial treasurer to monitor and audit all local authorities quarterly. We will also probe the Mbare urban renewal project and we are auditing all the projects," he said.
"We have actually crafted a way forward in terms of resuscitating these dead projects. They should start itemising all dead projects, for example in houses, why they stopped and if the reasons are criminal, criminal procedures start."
Muguti was appointed last year to oversee developmental issues in the capital.
Source - newsday
