A DEAL between the Old Mutual and Bulawayo City Council to refurbish Centenary Park is in limbo, as the local authority indicated that the documents may have been misplaced triggering the delay in the rehabilitation of the iconic park.
PRIVILEGE SHOKO OWN CORRESPONDENT
Old Mutual approached the local authority two years ago to rehabilitate the Centenary Park and a memorandum of understanding was signed.
The company was to put up a banner at the park and bear the costs of the refurbishment, but the council is reported to have sat on the papers.
Bulawayo Mayor Martin Moyo said they were trying to revise the deal.
“The people responsible must have misplaced the documents on the deal made with Old Mutual, but this is something we are trying to revise,” he said
This comes after a Bulawayo trust organisation, Bounce Back (Vuselela Bulawayo) wrote to the council, indicating its desire to assist in the rehabilitation of community facilities, among them, the Centenary Park.
The trust, council minutes say, was only registered three months ago and councillors wanted to investigate whether it had the capacity to carry out the refurbishments.
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According to the latest council minutes, councillors failed to agree on giving the private trust the go-ahead, with some saying it should be investigated first.
“We should not allow companies to just pop in and say that they want to help resuscitate the community facilities,” councillor Thobani Ncube said.
“We should first consider the company’s background and all its track records. The company may disappear before finishing the project.”
Other councillors like Charles Moyo argued otherwise, saying there was no reason to bar the private trust from offering its services for free.
“The issue of track records of the company does not affect its mandate to help the local authority,” Moyo opined.
“We have already researched about the company and if they are willing to help they should be given a chance looking at the current situation of the park.”
Councillor Reuben Matengu concurred, saying “there is always a beginning for everything.
“The company should at least be allowed to do the project, especially resuscitating Centenary Park and they never said they are taking the people’s money.”
The development also comes at a time when local authorities and the government have agreed that engaging the private sector through private public partnerships is one of the innovative ways of ensuring sustained service delivery.
