Chegutu Town Clerk takes home an average of $8000 per month including allowances. Together with his top management, they also receive brand new vehicles annually which they can buy at cheaper prices after every three years….Senior managers get university fees for their children to study abroad while employees have no salary

THE HONOURABLE MINISTER

Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing

Cecil House 95 Jason Moyo Street

Harare, Zimbabwe

THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL


5th Floor, Burroughs House

Cecil House 95 Jason Moyo Street

Cnr Fourth Street / George Silundika Avenue,

Harare, Zimbabwe

CHEGUTU RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION PETITION

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

EDMUND BURKE (12 January 1729 – 9 July 1797)

Statesman, author, philosopher

WE, the undersigned, are concerned members of the Chegutu Town Residents Association on behalf of the large 40.000 Chegutu Residents who are asking our elected officials, and public officials working for Chegutu Town Council to uphold the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and Bye-Laws as regards the various issues we are going to outline in this petition.

Protests in Chegutu

Section 9: Good Governance

(1)The State must adopt and implement policies and legislation to develop efficiency, competence, accountability, transparency, personal integrity and financial probity in all institutions and agencies of government at every level and in every public institution, and in particular–

(a) appointments to public offices must be made primarily on the basis of merit;

(b) measures must be taken to expose, combat and eradicate all forms of corruption and abuse of

power by those holding political and public offices.

Section 73: Environmental Rights

(1)Every person has the right–

(a) to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and

(b) to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that–

(i) prevent pollution and ecological degradation;

(ii) promote conservation; and

(iii) secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting economic and social development.

Section 77: Food and Water Rights

Every person has the right to–

  • safe, clean and potable water; and

Section 65: Labour rights

  • Every person has the right to fair and safe labour practices and standards and to be paid a fair and reasonable wage.

Our complaints with the leadership are not political, but based on real issues that are affecting us and the generality of the Chegutu populace.

  • DIRE WATER SITUATION – It is worrying that the rest of Chegutu has not been receiving water for the past 8years. This is despite the fact that the area has been receiving adequate rainfall but there are residential areas like Pfupajena High Density Suburb that has no tapped water yet the residents pay monthly water charges to council. This is a clear violation of the Constitution that guarantees a right to safe, clean and portable water.
  • What dismays the residents of Ward 8 and Ward 9 is that they continue to receive monthly water bills.
  • Residents pay an average of $10 monthly for water and other related charges but say they have no option but to pay since they dread the council’s debt collectors and municipal police who are notorious for confiscating assets of defaulters.
  • This is really unfair. The council bills us and they say we receive water yet there hasn’t been any. We have tried to raise our concerns with the authorities but nothing has materialised. If we don’t pay up, the council employs debt collectors and scores of residents have lost their assets.
  • There are about 400 households in Wards 8 and 9 – which translate to about $4,000 that is collected from the residents monthly.
  • There are about 400 households in Ward 8 and Ward 9 and they are all paying a monthly water charge of $10, yet they are not receiving any water. This is actually robbery and we are now in the process of mobilising residents to resist paying the bills.
  • So critical is the water situation that women and children spend much of their prime time at the two worn-out boreholes in the two Wards.
  • What is disconcerting is the fact that the council management has been awarding itself huge salaries and other benefits while services continue to deteriorate.
  • The Town Clerk takes home an average of $8000 per month including allowances. Together with his top management, they also receive brand new vehicles annually which they can buy at cheaper prices after every three years. This cannot be condoned in the face of dilapidating service delivery in the Council.
  • The Dire Water situation clearly borders on incompetence, corruption, and failure to prioritise service delivery on the part of leadership. A small council like Chegutu cannot fail to provide such a basic necessity to a small population.
  • SEWER SITUATION – obviously connected to the water situation. This needs serious attention. Most of the council’s water pipes were laid during the colonial era and have not been replaced. In 2008, the town was also hit hard by a cholera outbreak that killed about 1,000 people and residents are still anxious over a possible return of the deadly bacterial infection. Worse can happen if there is no intervention.
  •  
  • UNPAID SALARIES FOR EMPLOYEES – This clearly affects the employees directly and the residents indirectly. How do the employees work if they are not being paid.
  • Despite all the revenue collected, the council still owes workers millions of dollars in outstanding salaries. This information can even be obtained from the Council itself.
  • The Council leadership cannot afford to live in luxury at the expense of the ratepayers who have a legitimate right to expect service delivery, and employees who have a constitutional right to demand fair labour practices.
  • Senior management are enjoying abnormal perks including school fees at Bryden Country school, and university fees for children who are even outside the country when an ordinary employee has no salary.
  • Further, management is enjoying housing benefits where their rentals and utilities are paid for by the council.
  • Employees have gone for months without salaries. How do they survive?
  • Employees are being forced to bribe some officials in the system so that they can get salary advances. What country are we building with this conduct.
  • CORRUPT DISPOSAL OF COUNCIL LAND – one Council official sold hospital stand which is fenced, and council has turned a blind eye. This is just the tip of an iceberg.
  • Management has allocated itself several stands for a song and these are disposed of at queer rates to the prejudice of genuine home seekers.
  • DUBIOUS RECRUITMENT OF STAFF – Council has never been transparent about it hires its staff. We demand an investigation into the hiring of staff at Town House, Fire and Emergency department.
  • CORRUPT PROCUREMENT OF AMBULANCE – Council procured an ambulance from a little known entity, whose domicile is not even known. There is no disclosure to date as to the criteria used to award such a contract to such an entity if ever it exists.
  • IMPROPER FINANCIAL HANDLINGS- Employees are sometime receiving monies directly into their accounts when such money is supposed to be paid into the Council account. One employee collected money from ZAOGA church for a stand and was never brought to book.
  • DELIBERATE SHUTTING OUT OF NSSA HOUSING INVESTMENT through barricade of 530 hectares Hintonville lands meant for 25000 houses for Chegutu residents since 2010
  • CORRUPT LEASING OF RISBORO 500HECTARES OF LAND to one white man for agriculture purposes at the expense of the unsuspecting innocent citizens of Chegutu who haven’t any accommodation and where there’s a backlog of 25k housing units
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  • WE DEMAND THROUGH YOUR ESTEEMED OFFICES
  1. IMMIDIATE INVESTIGATION INTO THE AFFAIRS OF CHEGUTU TOWN COUNCIL
  • FORENSIC AUDIT INTO THE AFFAIRS OF THE CHEGUTU TOWN COUNCIL AT THE COUNCIL’S EXPENSE
  • ACTION TO BE TAKEN AGAINST ERRANT LEADERSHIP
  • IMMIDIATE RESIGNATION OF OFFICIALS IMPLICATED IN CORRUPT AND SHODDY DEALS IN THE COUNCIL IN PARTICULAR

Mandingo Alex                 – Town Clerk

Chikuruwo                       – Chamber Secretary

Tongai Mandude              – Finance Director

Shylet Dzivai                   – Housing Director

Eng Nyarumbu                 – Town Engineer

Mr. Kassam                     – Human Resources Director

Failure of which the residents shall exercise their constitutional right and camp outside the Town House in seven (7) days until the managers step down.

  • APPOINTMENT OF A COMMISSION TO RUN THE AFFAIRS OF CHEGUTU TOWN COUNCIL AS THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP HAS FAILED TO LEAD AND TURN AROUND THE FORTUNES OF A SMALL TOWN LIKE CHEGUTU

DATED AT CHEGUTU THIS THE 24TH DAY OF APRIL 2019

SIGNED

  1. THE CHAIRPERSON

Full Name ____________________________

Signature_____________________________

Contact ______________________________

  • THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON

Full Name ____________________________

Signature_____________________________

Contact ______________________________

  • THE SECRETARY

Full Name ____________________________

Signature_____________________________

Contact ______________________________

  • THE TREASURER

Full Name ____________________________

Signature_____________________________

Contact ______________________________