BULAWAYO councillors set themselves on a collision course with residents after they awarded themselves $150 sitting allowances each following their meeting with Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere recently.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Kasukuwere met the councillors on July 27 at council chambers for a few hours as part of his familiarisation tour following his reassignment from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate.
Latest council minutes indicate that after the meeting, town clerk Middleton Nyoni and mayor Martin Moyo asked Kasukuwere to approve sitting allowances for the 27 councillors in attendance.
Kasukuwere agreed but did not state the figure, resulting in Nyoni and Moyo getting $4 050 in allowances.
Councillors defended the $150 sitting allowances, saying former Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo had also approved such payouts to city fathers after meeting them at council chambers in November 2013 and on February 1 last year.
“The town clerk reported (July 29, 2015) that the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing had approved the payment of a once-off sitting allowance for those policymakers who had attended the meeting with him on July 27, 2015. The minister, however, did not indicate the level of the allowance,” part of the minutes read.
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“In consultation with His Worship, the Mayor, it had been agreed that the allowance be pegged at the level of the most recent one, which was $150.
“Twenty-seven councillors, including His Worship, the Mayor and the deputy mayor, had attended the meeting. “A total of $4 050 had accordingly been paid to them.”
However, Bulawayo Progressive Residents’ Association (BPRA) coordinator, Rodrick Fayayo said the payment of the sitting allowances smacked of corruption.
“This, coupled with the recent request by councillors for an over 400% allowance increase, is an indication that the leaders of Bulawayo are more concerned about their pockets rather than about the state of service delivery in the city,” he said.
“Thus, when they bemoan low revenue collection, which is the basis on which they are now pursuing anti-poor policies such as prepaid water meters, on their minds, it is not about increasing the amount of money channelled towards quality service provision, but it is about increasing revenues so that they can be able to get more allowances.
“The question this then raises is: How much money councillors make from such meetings with the minister and how many such allowances have been given based on whim following such meetings?
“While BPRA acknowledges that councillors should get allowances, it would be imperative that the allowances are stipulated and rationalised in line with the prevailing environment of low revenue streams to council and poor service delivery.”
