Harare councillors squandered more than US$11 million on weekly workshops and seminars in the first seven months of this year, according to incarcerated town clerk Hosiah Chisango.
Chisango is on remand over a street lights deal. The Herald reports that he testified that councillors were responsible for the unnecessary workshops, adding that the total expenditure could have been even higher if some of their proposals were not rejected.
“I think even some of my directors would confirm that there were serious concerns raised and there were other issues where we would have to prioritise and say that we needed to pay other expenses before proceeding with workshops,” Chisango said.
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“However, there was always pressure to prioritise issues related to workshops and seminars.”
“Regularly our councillors would request to have seminars and workshops. The first thing immediately after the constitution of council following elections, we have induction workshops to bring them up to speed with council operations.
“So, we used to have 46 councillors, but we currently have 59 councillors and these workshops, obviously they would consume money in terms of accommodation and other expenses.
“There are induction workshops and over and above those, the councillors would always request that when they make policy, if they formulate certain policies, they would always request to have a workshop and those are the costs that we incur.”
In other news, Mafume Slammed For Attending ZANU PF Ideological Training
Harare mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume, has been criticised for attending a ZANU PF indoctrination programme at the party’s Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology.
Mafume is among a group of mayors, chairpersons, councillors, and staff from 92 local authorities across the country who attended the two-day training session at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare.
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