The ManicaPost
Cletus Mushanawani
News Editor
A PROCUREMENT scam has rocked Mutare City Council where some of its senior managers are alleged to have thrown their weight around to have their rented houses spruced up using council resources, The Manica Post can reveal.
At one of the rented houses, Number 70 Chaminuka in Greenside, the cost of renovations are almost equivalent to those of constructing a standard house in a high density area, as almost everything at the house was overhauled, including the main house, cottage and pre-cast wall.
Quotations for the Greenside scope of work obtained from hardware shops in Mutare by The Manica Post for comparison purposes covered three computer typed pages and ran into thousands of United States dollars.
All the garden taps, kitchen basin, basin taps, tub, toilet set, shower taps, kitchen waste pipes, cottage toilet system, veranda screen and main house burglar bars were replaced.
The sewer section scope of work reads: “The bath tub, because of its cracked condition, also needs replacement. The bath tub has a unique colour which is now rare to find, it is better to also replace the toilet set and basin for uniformity sake.
“Shower taps, arm, swiver, shower rose, kitchen waste pipes are in a bad state and need replacement. The cottage toilet needs to be revamped, putting a new toilet pan and cistern to replace the old squatting system. For water supply in the main house and cottage, a 2 500 litre water tank will ease the water situation.”
The council management’s extravaganza was done contrary to the dictates of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act which governs all procurements of all public entities.
Section 22 of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act only allows procuring from one bidder or supplier without having received bids from other bidders in a few special cases that includes instances where no responsive bids would have been submitted in response to a competitive bidding procedure.
Mutare mayor, Councillor Simon Chabuka this week exonerated the senior managers on the renovations of the rented properties.
“Provision of accommodation for management is in terms of conditions of service. There are ceiling figures for each level. Everything is above board since we are not deviating from the approved agreed collective bargaining figures.
“Renovation done for the Greenside house were funded by the owner of the house. Council only prefunded repairs and then recovered all its money from rentals which were due to the landlord,” said Councillor Chabuka.
Investigations showed that the issue has been happening since 2019 when most of the senior managers were recruited, with some of them personally supervising the procurement of all required material and the renovations.
Correspondences which this publication has in possession regarding the renovations of the Greenside house work shows how council resources were used.
At times 14 requisitions for the payment of the required items were raised at once for payment.
One of the correspondences dated December 12, 2019 from Engineer Charity Zimunya to the finance department reads: “I am kindly requesting for an update on the procurement of the following items for Number 70, Chaminuka. The requisition numbers are 394026 to 394040.”
One of the Memos from the City Engineer, Engineer Maxwell Kerith to Engineer Mtetwa dated February 27, 2020 reads: “Please engage all divisions involved in the repairs of the Greenside house to submit costed returns (materials and labour) for onward transmittal to FD (Financial Director). Please do this monthly until the repairs are complete.”
The Financial Director, Mr Blessing Kapuya Chafesuka, went on to instruct a staffer from his department to exclusively reconcile all management benefits monthly.
“Can you please ensure reconciliation of all management benefits are done on time. I want this done exclusively by yourself due to the sensitivity of items relating to senior managers. Treat this as extremely urgent and I want them done monthly.”
In an interview yesterday, Mr Chafesuka who is also the acting Town Clerk said the issue of management’s accommodation is tabled in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the local authority and its employees.
“The thresholds of the accommodation facilities are decided in the CBA and as far as I am concerned no renovations exceeded the ceiling of what an employee is entitled to. The Human Resources Department is also involved in these issues as they have to with employees’ welfare.
“As for Number 70, Chaminuka, Greenside, council renovated the house and there was an agreement with the landlord that it will recoup its expenses from the rentals. I think the landlord went for almost a year without being paid his rentals. Unfortunately I am out of the office, I would have shown you all the transactions. Council did not lose anything from this arrangement,” said Mr Chafesuka.
He added: “There is nothing sinister about management changing houses they will be staying in as this is determined by the lease agreement between the landlord and the tenant. If a landlord gives a tenant notice to vacate his or her premises, the tenant has no option, but to find alternative accommodation and this is what has been happening.
“There is nothing amiss in all the transactions as everything was done above board. Some of the houses which accommodates our managers are substandard and need renovations to meet their conditions of service.”
Eng Kerith said he does not speak to the Press.
