By Flata Kavinga
Kwekwe Mayor Cllr Albert Zinhanga has acknowledged that some council workers have been using their own money to fix minor faults on council vehicles, citing rigid procurement procedures that delay urgent repairs.
Speaking to journalists shortly after a full council meeting, Cllr Zinhanga said delays in the procurement process often force drivers to pay for minor repairs such as tyre punctures in order to keep vehicles on the road.
“As a driver, you know when your tyre has been punctured. If the vehicle develops a flat tyre, and knowing that it takes longer to have the tyre fixed due to council procurement policies, you may be forced to dip into your pockets instead of waiting two or three days,” said Zinhanga.
He said councillors agreed during the meeting that the issue affects service delivery and requires urgent policy reform.
“These are critical service delivery issues. We must have petty cash to attend to minor problems such as tyre punctures or replacement of bolts which may cost less than US$3. It is an issue to do with our policies, and we need to change our procurement policies, especially on service delivery issues,” he said.
The mayor’s remarks followed concerns raised during the meeting by Ward 11 Cllr Panyika Nyika, who questioned why council employees were paying for vehicle repairs from their own pockets.
“Why do our workers end up using their own money to have council vehicles repaired? Is it because they love their jobs so much, or is it due to our failure to repair vehicles using council coffers?” Nyika asked.
He said council workers, who have previously raised concerns over low salaries, should not be burdened with costs that should be met by the local authority.
“The workers should not dip into their pockets to repair council vehicles. They are already complaining of meagre salaries. We must find a way to address this problem so that they can enjoy their earnings with their families,” Nyika said.
