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Cllr Kombayi

 Midlands Correspondent
GWERU City Council has announced plans to install solar powered street lights in the city to replace old ones that are broken down.
Gweru mayor, Councillor Hamutendi Kombayi said the exercise, which is expected to start mid next year will cost $1 million.He added that the Central Business District would be prioritised before the project is extended to residential areas.

“Council will set aside $1 million for the installation of street lights as part of the capital projects we intend to undertake next year. As you’re aware, the street lighting system is in an appalling state and we intend to replace the old lights with environment friendly streetlights,” said the mayor.

“The first phase to be undertaken next year will start with replacing street lights in the Central Business District and after that we will move to residential areas.”

Cllr Kombayi said council is working on securing adequate funding to ensure that the project is a success.

The council’s director of finance Edgar Mwedzi, during a budget consultative meeting, said council had sent its proposals to government to fund some capital projects through the Chinese mega deals signed by President Mugabe a few weeks ago.

The proposed project comes at a time when council embarked on a controversial solar powered traffic lights installation which is said to have gobbled $500,000.

The tender was awarded to a Chinese company but details later emerged that the company did not have the technical expertise to undertake the project.

Some of the traffic lights in the CBD have since broken down hardly a year after they had been installed.

Cllr Kombayi defended his council saying the tender had been awarded by the previous council led by former mayor, Tedious Chimombe.