RUSAPE – The MDC-led Rusape Town Council has embarked on an anti-corruption drive that will go a long way in boosting the town’s coffers and improve service delivery.

Speaking to the Real Change Times on Tuesday, Rusape Town Council, chairperson and Ward 5 Councillor Kidwell Gomana, said when the council assumed office in 2008, corruption was rampant in the previous Zanu PFled council. This forced the new MDC-led council to fire the town secretary, the town engineer, the internal audit clerk and the finance director as they were implicated in serious theft of council resources.

“After we fired the town clerk, the finance director and suspending the entire finance department, we were able to put proper systems in place and money became available for council projects,” said Clr Gomana.

According to the chairperson, the then finance department had not been following the council financial systems, taking money without following correct procedures, prompting the councillors to investigate the employees, which led to their dismissal. “When we came into office we made our own investigations, which revealed that the finance department was not following proper financial procedures, awarding themselves astronomical salaries without council approval and fraudulently withdrawing council money from the banks,” said Clr Gomana.

Rusape in Manicaland province is located along the Harare - Mutare highway and is easily accessible by road and railway. However, Clr Gomana said the bringing in of a new transparent and efficient council in Rusape was being hampered by the Local Government, Rural and Urban Development minister, Ignatius Chombo, who was interfering in the day to day operations of the council.

Through the district administrator (DA), Cosmas Chiringa, a civil servant who is also Zanu PF’s secretary for Manicaland Province, Chombo has been seconding Zanu PF apologists to position of the town secretary. The previous town secretary Albert Njobo was fired for corruption. “We were surprised to see a letter from Chombo directing us to appoint one Museka as the acting town secretary.

Museka is the deputy DA who is not only unqualified but does not hold any ‘O’ Level certificate,” said the council chairperson. Recently Chombo appointed a five man delegation to investigate alleged corruption taking place in Rusape Town Council. The investigation team led by Erica Jones claimed they had received a letter signed by two unnamed residents complaining about poor service delivery by the town council.

“The investigating team did not have any clear terms of reference and they claimed a letter was written and signed by two unnamed residents complaining that there was poor service delivery yet we have more than 75 000 residents who are happy about our service delivery,” said Clr Gomana.

The town has a population of more than 75 000 residents and 10 MDC councillors, including the three special interest councillors appointed by Chombo. The special interest councillors are from Zanu PF and were defeated by the MDC councillors in the March 2008 harmonised elections.

During its term in office, the council has managed to buy a grass cutting tractor and two generators in case of power cuts. The council has also purchased a public address system for entertainment at the council beer hall in Vengere, a water pump, repaired all the street lights, bought a refuse collection tractor and repaired the other two tractors that had broken down.

“We used to have 20 meter sewage rods but now we have been able to buy 800m rods. Because of this we no longer have any sewage problems that were dogging the town for some time. Not only have we managed the sewer systems, we have also patched the potholes that had become a menace in our town,” added Clr Gomana.

The council has since engaged the international organization, UNICEF to help out in rehabilitating its water and sewer system in the town. The programme aims to strengthen the capacity of Rusape Town Council to provide access to potable water and environmental sanitation for the 75 000 people through improved water treatment plants facilities and restoration of sewer and water networks. It will also improve the capacity of water technicians by training them on basic processes of water treatment, monitoring and maintenance practices for water systems