Scandal-ridden Chitungwiza Town Council is in the eye of a storm after it allegedly splashed close to RTGS$ $500 000 on a team-building-two day-workshop in Kadoma, Zim Morning Post has learnt.
Impeccable sources told us that the half a million dollars will be channelled towards accommodation, meals and hefty allowances at a time the local authority recently complained of shoe string budgets and financial constraints.
The team that is currently enjoying the luxurious Kadoma team building workshop at the benevolence of the supposedly cash strapped council is comprised of ate least 50 participants drawn from management, councillors and cheery-picked residents associations.
Inside sources told Zim Morning Post that each participant will receive at least RTGS$ 11 000 to cater for accommodation and food during their stay in Kadoma.
“I can put it to you that each participant will get RTGS$11 000 and they can try and hide it but those are the figures that they agreed on,” revealed our source.
However the Mayor of Chitungwiza Lovemore Maiko poured cold water on the allegations saying those figures were cooked by the council’s detractors to tarnish their image.
“The information you are talking about is totally false, Councillors here will receive RTGS$ 10 as allowances per day and not those hefty allowances you are talking about.
“The allowances which all stakeholders get will be way below RTGS$ 2000,” said Maiko.
Maiko later referred Zim Morning Post to get more details from the Public Relations Manager Lovemore Meya who said the town council activities are laid out on the statement it issued.
“ I think I have issued a statement addressing your issue just be guided with the statement. That is the position of the council,” said Meya.
The statement however failed to justify why the council is conducting the team building workshop in Kadoma when the dormitory town has many hospitality facilities.
He also failed to categorically state the actual figures budgeted for the workshop.
This is not the first time Chitungwiza council has been accused of abusing funds.
A participant who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that they were promised some handsome allowances which have not yet reflected in their bank accounts.
“I am not so sure of the exact amount which we are going to receive but I can confirm that we are in Kadoma and the Team building is already underway,” said the participant.
This development comes at a time when residents are getting poor service delivery while the elite are enjoying the little resources which the town is getting from ratepayers.
Chitungwiza is one of the towns which was hard hit by the cholera epidemic in 2018.