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Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
BULAWAYO Mayor Martin Moyo has accused fellow councillors including his deputy Gift Banda of not being conversant with Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) resulting in them missing important council meetings which are communicated through electronic mail.

Officially opening a workshop on Constitution and Local Government Legislation Awareness Creation organised by Local Authority Capacity Enhancement Project at a Bulawayo hotel yesterday, Clr Moyo attributed the absence of a majority of councillors to technophobia.

In his introductory remarks, Clr Moyo said: “I’m a little bit disappointed with the number of councillors who are in attendance today. Probably this is caused by email communications. I think some of our councillors are not up to date with the use of emails.

“They’re taking too long to open their emails missing some important communications.”

Reading a prepared speech, the mayor “welcomed” the absent Clr Banda. In off-the-cuff remarks, the mayor said his deputy could have missed the event due to failure to access e-mailed communications.

Clr Moyo recommended that the council should revert to using text messages when communicating with its laggard councillors. A handful of councillors attended yesterday’s workshop. This is not the first time councillors have been exposed for failing to utilise ICTs.

In December, 2013, The Chronicle published a story in which councillors were allegedly failing to use laptops after the local authority computerised its administrative systems, doing away with manual filing.

Before issuing the laptops, council used to issue reports of council meetings to councillors, officials, interested parties in large volumes printed on bond paper. In yesterday’s discussion the sizes of council’s housing stands were criticised with participants saying their prices were very high and out of the reach of many residents.