It never rains but pours for the residents of the town of Redcliff.
Not only have they gone for nearly fours years without safe, clean and potable water – but have the curse-like misfortune of a local authority that is more interested in their own comfort and luxury than the welfare of residents whom they are supposed to lead.
It is not that the town of Redcliff lacks the funds to ensure that residents have access to their constitutionally mandated right to water as provided for in section 77.
No, not at all.
If the town council was so cash-strapped, where would they have sourced the money for a planned trip to Dubai (UAE), slatted for late July this year?
Surely, for a local authority that has never run out of excuses as to the reasons they are failing to provide a basic inalienable right as water – top of which is the lack of funds – planning a trip to Dubai effectively rubbishes this claim.
According to reports from reliable sources, three officials will be boarding a flight to the Arab state – namely, the Town Clerk (Gilson Chakauya), Mayor (Vincent Masiiwa), and an unnamed business management official.
The purpose of the trip is not yet clear – as the whole arrangement has been shrouded in secrecy, possibly in fear of a totally legitimate backlash from residents.
Nonetheless, whatever the objective, there can never be any justification for a town council that has abysmally failed to provide a crucial service as water to its residents to then suddenly find money for gallivanting overseas.
How can they find finances for a trip – that will obviously require costs for flights, accommodation, food, and the inevitable shopping and sightseeing – yet professing an inability to provide water to residents?
Section 183 of the Urban Council Act obligates local authorities in Zimbabwe to provide and maintain a supply of water within and outside the council area.
Has the local authority not been alleging that their failure to deliver on their legal mandate was mainly due to the non-payment of bills on the part of residents?
In fact, during a consultative meeting held between the council and residents’ representatives on 17th April 2024, the authority claimed that only 20 percent of ratepayers were fulfilling their obligations.
As such, the amount going into municipal coffers was allegedly woefully inadequate to meet the needs of residents, such as water, refuse collection, road maintenance, and street lighting repairs, amongst others.
Furthermore, municipal workers have reportedly not been paid their salaries for months – resulting in most of them failing to fend for themselves and their families.
That is said to be the reason the low density suburb of Redcliff has gone for close to four years without the precious liquid.
Residents were also told of outstanding payments to the nearby city of Kwekwe – from where Redcliff purchases its water – spanning into the millions of dollars.
Yet, in all this moaning over financial constraints, the Municipality of Redcliff curiously has no problems at all sourcing funds for a trip for its top officials to Dubai.
This brings into serious question the local authority’s priorities.
Who matters the most to them – the welfare of residents or the top officials’ own pleasures?
Let us also not forget that the Redcliff town council is not new to controversy and scandal – characterized largely by financial irresponsibility and gross irregularities in the management of the town’s affairs.
There have been numerous reports of the misuse of municipal land – which was exchanged for such things as expensive luxury vehicles and high-end mobile phones for top officials.
These fraudulent activities have repeatedly been flagged by the country’s auditor-general.
This was after the Municipality of Redcliff scandalously gave away 21 hectares of our land, in a deal estimated to be worth US$850,000, with a local cement making company (Livetouch Investments).
The murky deal not only violated the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act – by not going to tender – but was highly irregular since Livetouch Investments is not a vehicle supplier.
We have watched, in utter shock, as top officials gave themselves Toyota Fortuner GD6s, four Toyota Hilux, five Nissan NP300 trucks, and others.
Further to this, investigations revealed that the town clerk’s Toyota Fortuner as well as a Toyota Quantum vehicle were invoiced different amounts in excess of the agreed values as per the purchase agreement.
The Toyota Fortuner on purchase agreement was invoiced US$61,727, but the council invoiced US$83,500, resulting in a variance of US$21,773.
The Toyota Quantum on the purchase agreement was invoiced US$41,034, which later shot up to US$50,465 on actual payment made, showing a US$9,431 variance.
Further investigations by corruption watchdog, Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA), exposed even more to the rot.
A whistle-blower claimed that Toyota Fortuner GD6 vehicles were not procured from Toyota Zimbabwe but instead from an individual linked to a top official in the council.
When asked, Toyota Zimbabwe has denied any such transaction with the municipality of Redcliff – contrary to the local authority’s assertions.
A national publication, NewsHawks, also reported that a company called Storey Marketing Hardware, which supplies protective clothing, wrote a letter to the municipality requesting the amounts owed to it to be paid by allocation of stands, and the local authority agreed.
The value of the transaction was ZW$537,113 – and a low-density residential stand number 3929 measuring 1,300 square meters was allocated.
There are more reports of land and vehicles being given to several councillors and officials in rather unclear circumstances.
The cars are reportedly carrying private vehicle number plates!
It is widely believed that quite a number of officials are now owners of stands throughout Redcliff under questionable deals.
The apparent graft by the municipality appears to now have been targeted at residents who are receiving fraudulent bills.
Further to this, there has been an outcry by residents throughout the town over exaggerated bills whose calculations can not be satisfactorily explained by the local authority.
These discrepancies are suspected to be a deliberate ploy by the town council to fleece residents of their hard-earned money through the backdoor.
I am also curious to know just how much the municipality paid a consultant engaged to formulate a master plan for the town.
To be honest, I would not be shocked at all if hundreds of thousands of dollars were forked out for this process.
As can be undeniably ascertained in this article, the Municipality of Redcliff is the primary author of the residents’ suffering.
The ‘city fathers’ are only concerned about themselves over the welfare of the residents.
It can not be debated that the cry over the non-payment of bills by residents is merely a lame excuse.
When the council wants money for their own pleasures, they can find it.
Is that not why when they want to travel to Dubai, they have absolutely no problem securing the money – in spite of all the cries over a lack of funds?
The Redcliff local authority must not treat its residents as if they are fools.
TENDAI RUBEN MBOFANA - THE UN-OPPRESSED MIND! 