By Correspondent
ZANU PF’s Bulawayo spokesperson, Archbold Chiponda, has slammed Mayor David Coltart for failing to deliver on campaign promises made to voters.
Chiponda specifically criticized the council’s inaction on its pledge to investigate and potentially cancel questionable contracts signed by previous administrations.
He pointed out that four months have passed since the new council took office, and yet no progress has been made.
Coltart’s Promises
“We need first of all to conduct a review of all the contracts the city council has entered into.
“(There is need) to understand how they were entered and if the correct tender procedures were followed and who benefits from those contracts.
“Once we have done that review, we in terms of the law, either enforce the strict terms of those contracts or cancel them if they were entered incorrectly,” he promised.
Coltart added that councilors should also be reviewed so that they don’t get into council chambers to enrich themselves.
“Corruption actually stems off from the top.
“We also have to review the allocation of residential and business stands.
Councilors should not enrich themselves but are there to serve the community,” Coltart said.
He said corruption was also rife among council employees.
“We need to review and check what has been going on and break corruption cartels within the system,” he said.
Questionable Contracts
Some of the contracts entered into by council include the US$60 Million tender with Terracotta Private Limited.
The South African company was engaged to rebuild Bulawayo’s Basch Street Bus Terminus popularly known as Egodini in 2012.
However, nothing materialized there until Coltart got into office.
Lately there has been progress at the site.
Bulawayo City council also entered a city parking contract with Tendy Three Investment.
The agreement has stirred controversy with motorists.
Recently TTI was given the powers to clamp and tow vehicles without valid license discs in Bulawayo.
Chiponda said Coltart’s administration might have sold the electorate a dummy.
He called for the interrogation of all contracts or laws that were set by the previous administration.
“Things have been bad in Bulawayo for a while and we have seen the degeneration of our beautiful city over a few decades now.
“Since this new council came in August we have seen no change but more of the deterioration of the situation.
“TTI Parking solutions has been given more powers yet citizens have spoken loudly against TTI.
“In the past four months they (city council) have been quite.
“One would hope they would start implementing the promises they made to the citizens,” he said.