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 Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]

LOCAL Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe has approved Gokwe Town Council’s ZiG82 billion budget for 2024.

Gokwe Town Council had been given up to April 30 to submit a revised budget supported by documents and a roadmap to address the issues raised by the ministry after the initial budget was rejected.

The local authority was accused of failing to comply with the requirements of the “A Call to Action” blueprint as it operated without key personnel to drive its mandate.

President Mnangagwa officially launched the local authority blueprint titled: “A Call to Action — No Compromise to Service Delivery: First Stage of interventions to modernise the operations of local authorities towards a 2030 Vision” last year.

Gokwe town council re-submitted its budget, whose focus is on accelerated service delivery and provision of social service infrastructure to improve the livelihoods and quality of lives for residents and stakeholders as guided by the National Development Strategy (NDS1).

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Dr John Basera recently wrote to council advising that their amended budget had been approved.

“The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has in terms of Section 47 (1) of the Public Finance Management Act Chapter 22:9 approved the 2024 budget estimates for Gokwe Town Council with the following conditions: Council must make a definitive resolution on the case regarding the Town Secretary as this will enhance the local authority’s governance and administration programmes,” he stated.

Dr Basera said Gokwe Town Council should adhere to the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme implementation road map while statutory obligations must be cleared by December 30. 

“Be advised that stringent monitoring of these issues and other matters will be done every quarter during the course of the year,” he said.

To address key issues that led to the rejection of the initial budget, Gokwe Town Council recruited two managers as directed by Government.

The local authority is still to engage a substantive town secretary but has since recommended some condidates to the Local Government Board.

The last substantive town secretary was Ms Malania Mandeya who was fired in 2021 by the previous council together with finance director Mr Joconia Nyoni for alleged abuse of office.

Former acting town secretary, Mr Alexander Nyandoro, who was initially sent on forced leave, was suspended recently over a slew of allegations.

Mr Nyandoro has been acting since the sacking of Ms Mandeya.

The now acting town secretary Mr Nyoni was reinstated by the Local Government Board last year and was quickly appointed to replace Mr Nyandoro who had offered to step down.