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(TALKZIMBABWE) Council splashes US$30k on Hre mayoress

COMMENT - According to this article, Muchadeyi Ashton Masunda is the mayor of Harare (Masunda officially installed as Mayor). Mrs. Fikile Masunda must be his wife? The MDC is quickly becoming a lot better known for their corruption, than the originality of their neoliberal economic plans.

Council splashes US$30k on Hre mayoress
TH/TZG
Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:06:00 +0000

HARARE City Council has splashed US$30 000 on a 4x4 Isuzu LX twin-cab for use by Mayoress Mrs Fikile Masunda, the Zimbabwe Guardian has learnt. The truck comes complete with a chauffer. Mrs Masunda becomes the first mayoress in the history of the Harare City Council to have a vehicle dedicated for her use.

The vehicle was bought at the same time council splurged US$153 000 on a Mercedes-Benz ML 320 CDI and that the car was initially supposed to be used by one of the senior managers in the water and sanit department. It is not clear how it ended up being assigned to the mayoress.

In the past, mayoresses were either driven with their spouses when attending civic duties or an official vehicle would be assigned to pick them up and drop them off.

Dedicating a vehicle for Mrs Masunda also means she now enjoys the benefit of a chauffeur. City spokesman Leslie Gwindi yesterday confirmed the purchase of the vehicle.

"It has been seen fit that she should have a vehicle," he said.

Gwindi refused to discuss the issue further.

Further inquiries with chamber secretary Josephine Ncube by The Herald confirmed the purchase of the vehicle, but she denied that it was for Mrs Masunda’s sole use.

"She is not a full-time employee. The vehicle is not for the mayoress.It is part of the mayoral fleet.

"The vehicle can be used for official assignments by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Emmanuel Chiroto, or any councillor representing council at official functions or Mrs Masunda," she said.

Ncube said the purchase of the vehicle was extensively debated and an agreement was reached that it would be part of the mayoral fleet.

"If, for example, the Mayor of Bulawayo phones and says that he is coming to Harare, as part of our courtesy the vehicle will be sent to pick him up from the airport," she said.

The silver grey Isuzu is still to be registered. Councillors said the office of the mayor should have three vehicles, which it now has — an ML 320 CDI, Toyota Hilux single-cab and the double-cab Isuzu truck.

"It is there. I can confirm," said one councillor.

Senior council managers are not convinced that the vehicle was a wise buy taking into consideration that district officers who are supposed to travel the length and breadth of their wards monitoring service delivery do not have cars.

"This is very demoralising.

"We thought council had our interests at heart," said one manager. TH/TZG

Labels: MAYOR, MDC CORRUPTION

posted by MrK @ 3:24 AM