News / National
Councilors threaten executive with arrest
08 Sep 2024 at 13:50hrs | Views
Angry Kwekwe councilors fumed during a full council meeting last Thursday and threatened to have Kwekwe City executive arrested for allegedly recruiting new city parking marshals without a resolution.
The councilors disowned 35 parking marshals employed and deployed in the streets following the opening of that account.
Ward 10 councilor, Solomon Matsa said there is no transparency in the Finance Department and called for the arrest of anyone found on the wrong side of the law.
Matsa was further incensed by the fact that the acting finance director Simbi could not answer questions during the meeting.
The marshals started collecting US$1 parking fees from motorists a week ago before the project was sanctioned by council, said the chairman of the Finance Committee, Alex Senge.
Councilors roasted the Financial Director who declined to answer questions and remained mum.
Senge said that the issue of opening a city parking account was discussed during a finance committee meeting and the matter was to be finalized in a full council meeting. He was however, shocked to see marshals recruited and operating in the CBD before the matter came to full council.
"I chaired a finance committee meeting on August 8, 2024 where we made recommendations for a city parking account. So as it is there is no resolution on this matter but 35 marshals are already in the streets and I don't know anything about them.
"I don't understand why the executive rushed to open a city parking account without a resolution. Things cannot happen under our watch like this issue. As Finance Committee chairman, I also need answers," said Senge.
"I have nothing to say," said acting director of finance Simbi.
"If the law was broken then people should be arrested because it seems there is no transparency in our financial department and we cannot continue to have people hide information from us," said Matsa.
"Let's get people arrested. It is rude for the assistant director of finance to say he has nothing to say over an issue which is right before him. When will he be at liberty to speak? Why doesn't he want to speak and who will speak on his behalf?
"We want answers from him because the finance chairperson has distanced himself from this matter," said councilor Makomborero Edu Mlambo of ward 8.
Mayor Albert Zinhanga then ordered that the meeting be held in a closed door meeting.
The councilors disowned 35 parking marshals employed and deployed in the streets following the opening of that account.
Ward 10 councilor, Solomon Matsa said there is no transparency in the Finance Department and called for the arrest of anyone found on the wrong side of the law.
Matsa was further incensed by the fact that the acting finance director Simbi could not answer questions during the meeting.
The marshals started collecting US$1 parking fees from motorists a week ago before the project was sanctioned by council, said the chairman of the Finance Committee, Alex Senge.
Councilors roasted the Financial Director who declined to answer questions and remained mum.
Senge said that the issue of opening a city parking account was discussed during a finance committee meeting and the matter was to be finalized in a full council meeting. He was however, shocked to see marshals recruited and operating in the CBD before the matter came to full council.
"I chaired a finance committee meeting on August 8, 2024 where we made recommendations for a city parking account. So as it is there is no resolution on this matter but 35 marshals are already in the streets and I don't know anything about them.
"I don't understand why the executive rushed to open a city parking account without a resolution. Things cannot happen under our watch like this issue. As Finance Committee chairman, I also need answers," said Senge.
"I have nothing to say," said acting director of finance Simbi.
"If the law was broken then people should be arrested because it seems there is no transparency in our financial department and we cannot continue to have people hide information from us," said Matsa.
"Let's get people arrested. It is rude for the assistant director of finance to say he has nothing to say over an issue which is right before him. When will he be at liberty to speak? Why doesn't he want to speak and who will speak on his behalf?
"We want answers from him because the finance chairperson has distanced himself from this matter," said councilor Makomborero Edu Mlambo of ward 8.
Mayor Albert Zinhanga then ordered that the meeting be held in a closed door meeting.
Source - The Mirror
