STRIKE RIPS BCC OFF $60 000

Kimpton Ndimande

THE Bulawayo City Council lost approximately $600 000 in revenue between Monday and Thursday when its workers went on strike over outstanding salaries, the financial director, Mr Kimpton Ndimande, revealed yesterday.

According to The Chronicle, Mr Ndimande said normally during the last week of the month, the local authority collects about$220 000 per day, but in the four days of the strike only $280 000 was collected.

He said the local authority got an average of $4,1 million per month, but this month it is estimated that it would get $3,1 million.

the concern here is that of the money lost due to the strike. Had the workers had been paid their salaries, all this money could have not been lost. with all this money that is being collected why is the local authority failing to pay its workers. So what is better? Paying the workers or lose a lot of money.

The other humiliating thing about the strike is that it was staged during the ZITF week, when there will be a lot of foreigners in the country. The service delivery in the city declined this week. What message will these foreign business people carry to their countries. Please BCC be serious about your duties.

source: The Chronicle

VENDING NOT A CRIME: CHOMBO

Local governance and rural housing and development minister has said that vending is not a crime but must be done through permission from the responsible authorities.

According to the Herald, after the famous operation Murambatsvina, only flower vendors along Jason Moyo way at Africa unit square have been legalised.

Due to this residents in Harare were complaining that the city councils were making their lives hard for they did not have any means of living

BCC ENDS STRIKE

Moses Mahlangu

Thaba Moyo

Bulawayo City Council workers are set to return to work today after ending a four-day strike that had crippled service delivery in the city which is hosting the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, NEWSDAY has revealed.

The strike over unpaid salaries has now been referred to the Ministry of Labour.



This looks to be a good imrovement on the side of the city council. the workers have shown maturity and commitment; showing that they really need to deliver. the button is now left to the ministry of labour to act swiftly in addressing the issues of the council workers.

Zimbabwe Urban Council Workers’ Union secretary-general Moses Mahlangu said the workers had decided to hand over the salary dispute to the Ministry of Labour after failing to come up with an agreement with council on the fourth day of their job action.

“However, this is still not over, our demands are still the same and if we are issued with a certificate of no settlement from the ministry, we will decide whether to go on a full-blown strike, arbitration or engage the deputy sheriff to attach property amounting to what council owes us,” he said.

Bulawayo mayor Thaba Moyo refused to comment on the dispute saying it was “a private and confidential issue”.

“All the workers will be back at work, the issue to be discussed is not their salaries, but what you should know is that they are back at work and that is all that matters,” he said.
 source: newsday.

TANYANYIWA FREED FROM HOUSE ARREST

Godfree Tanyanyiwa

The suspended Chitungwiza town clerk Godfree Tanyanyiwa has been freed from his house arrest.

tanyanyiwa has been arrested after being suspected of many fraud cases. he is said to have robbed his employer of money amounting to US$170 000 buying himself an expensive car and a house in the low density suburb of Chisipite.

According to Newsday, Tanyanyiwa has been given freedom to move around from his home, a freedom which he lost on his last court session.

He had been ordered not to leave his home unless he is attending court or reporting to the police. However now he has been freed from this house arrest.

But, although he has been granted this freedom, he is supposed to continue staying at his Mt pleasant home, in Harare. he is also still supposed to keep on reporting at the Avondale police station. This is now his arrest condition for his arrest.

At least the courts are showing commitment in trying to curb corruption. corruption has of late taken this company as a storm. however it is the hope of every citizen that the trial come soon and the rule of law will have its role to re-orient the corrupt clerk.

we are now tired of seeing our funds being squandered whilst we the public are anguishing in hunger and lack of quality service delivery. its high time where anyone who commites this crime will be brought to book and necessary actions be taken.

you can visit:Newsday   

MORE ONE WAYs FOR HARARE

city council putting the road markings

  

Harare motorists yesterday woke up to the city’s newest one-way road — South Avenue. Traffic on South Avenue now flows eastwards from Angwa Street to Wynne Street.

City workmen were yesterday busy putting the necessary road markings and traffic flow signs.

There was confusion as motorists drove west without noticing the new changes. Next weekend Inez Terrace will be converted so traffic will flow south from Nelson Mandela Avenue to Kenneth Kaunda Avenue.

The other roads to be converted    on a phased programme include Robert Mugabe Road, where traffic will flow east from Rotten Row up to the intersection with Fourth Street.

The third phase would see traffic on Leopold Takawira flowing north from Charter Road to Samora Machel Avenue, while that on Chinhoyi Street will flow south from Samora Machel to Charter Road.

The one-ways were approved in 1994 but could not be implemented owing to financial constraints.
source:Herald

SUSPENED MAYOR SPEAKS OUT

Mutare mayor Brian Leslie  Suspended Mutare mayor Brian Leslie James says fellow MDC councillors and management are avoiding a full audit of the city’s finances and implementation of agreed council resolutions. According to Daily News, James, who is also MDC Manicaland provincial treasurer, told hundreds of party’s supporters at a rally on Sunday that councillors were part of the rot affecting Mutare. James revealed that a probe team tasked by local government minister Ignatious Chombo to investigate him on allegations of misconduct had completed its work but he had not received a copy of the report. Acting Mutare mayor George Jerison said he would not respond to issues raised by a fellow MDC senior provincial member to party supporters at a rally. Source:

dailynews

POLITICAL DIFFERENCES A STUMBLING BLOCK

A fierce confrontation is looming between the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Ignatius Chombo and Harare City councillors over a proposal to employ more causal workers.

As a matter of concern, it has been noted that there is the issue of political differences that has come to play. The minister is ZANU PF and the Harare councilors are MDC. So this political difference has caused tension hence service delivery is compromised.

The minister is arguing that the council cannot hire workers to cut grass which has become a preying ground for thugs and rapists. On the other hand, the councilors are saying that more labour is required so that the work is done faster. The justification of the minister is that the money can be used in service delivery.

Both facts are good and valuable but the question is ‘When are they going to agree?’ this job needs to be done quickly otherwise more lives will be lost and more ladies raped. This shows the consequencies of disagreements over policies due to political differences.

In earlier blogs I have talked of how the inclusive government is failing to deliver due to political affiliations. However, it is good for the council and the ministry to put aside the political differences and work to achieve good results. It is my hope that they will soon come to an agreement and the work will be done.

Source: dailynews