$1,6 million for Byo wards development

cash stack

Vusumuzi Dube/Nqobile Tshili, Municipal Reporters
THE City of Bulawayo has set up a Ward Retention Fund from which about $1,6 million will soon be disbursed to each of the city’s 29 wards for development projects.

The scheme is in the mould of the Government’s Constituency Development Fund which had to be abolished after MPs mainly aligned to the opposition MDC-T misappropriated the funds.

Councillors in the city passed a resolution recently during a full council meeting to share the money according to residents’ payment of bills in each ward.

The ward where residents paid the most would get more money.

They have named the scheme Ward Retention Fund and say it is meant to encourage residents to pay their bills.

“During the 2015 budget outreach, the idea of funding projects that were decided by the ward under the leadership of their elected councillor was mooted. Funding for the projects was to be tied to what each ward contributed to council’s coffers. The receipts into the fund should be three percent of all cash received from payment of services billed to ward residents.

“Ward projects that were to be funded should be decided by the ward and benefit the ward. The purpose of the fund was to encourage residents to pay their bills. Based on their payments, a certain portion of their payments would be set aside to develop their ward. The projects to develop the ward would be chosen by people in the ward,” reads part of the council report.

It has further been revealed that as at 31 December 2016 the fund had accumulated $1 692 619 which was now awaiting distribution to various councillors as per their debt payments.

According to the council report the ward which is set to receive the highest figure is Ward One with $327 502. The ward encompasses the City Centre as bounded by Masotsha Avenue, Robert Mugabe way, First Avenue, Samuel Parirenyatwa Street, Railway Avenue, Basch Street and back to Masotsha Avenue.

The ward is under the jurisdiction of the youngest councillor within the local authority, Clr Mlandu Ncube.

Ward 15, which is under Clr Tamani Moyo will get the least amount of $14 897. The ward encompasses Enqotsheni, Old Luveve, New Luveve and Luveve industries.

“The 2017 budget might not have captured all the ward capital projects as some wards did not submit any bids. Council therefore needed to ensure that structures were set up that would ensure that all ward projects were included in the 2018 council budget.

“The finance director shall prepare or cause to be prepared the monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements for the fund and submit these to the council. Procurement of goods and services shall be done in accordance with the Procurement Act and Regulations,” reads the report.

Parliament had to scrap the $50 000 CDF in 2013 after MPs most of whom, at the time, were aligned to the opposition MDC-T, abused it.  They included Mr Albert Mhlanga (Pumula) and Mr Reggie Moyo (Luveve – Cowdray Park), Mr Marvelous Khumalo (St Mary’s), Mr Sandla Khumalo (Mpopoma–Pelandaba), Ms Dorcas Sibanda (Bulawayo Central) and Mr Felix Mafa (Magwegwe).

Ms Sibanda is the only one who is still an MP from the above list.

Mr Sandla Khumalo is alleged to have told the residents that the amount was reduced by Government to $38 000 after assumedly squandering part of the money.

Mr Marvelous Khumalo was one of those that were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission on allegations of abusing the fund but Government later decided to put on hold the prosecution until the auditing of all constituencies was done.

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