Chitungwiza Municipality has denied blowing up US$72 thousand on a strategic planning workshop held at the Chinhoyi University of Technology.
The municipality says the strategic planning workshop, the council held from the 14th to the 17th of November 2020, was not a luxurious retreat meant to squander the ratepayers’ money but was a necessity.
Chitungwiza Municipal Town Cleck Evangelista Machona says, “Firstly, let us set the record straight that the Strategic planning workshop held from the 14th to the 17th of November 2020 at the Chinhoyi University of Technology hotel was never a ‘luxurious outing’ as being alleged, rather it was official and necessary council business.”
“Secondly, the accusations that Council spent US$72 000 on the same workshop with the Councillors and management pocketing US$1100, is from the truth.”
The Municipal explained that the workshop held is a statutory requirement at law and Chitungwiza was the only local authority that had not conducted its review.
“In addition, the workshop was aimed at reviewing Council’s 2019 and 2020 strategy, while planning the one which aligns to the National Development Strategy (NDS1), being spearheaded by Government,” Machona says.
“This also follows the launch of the NDS1 on the 16th of November 2020, by His Excellency, President Mnangagwa.”
“It charts policies, institutional priorities needed from 2021-2025 to achieve an upper middle-class economy under Vision 2030.”
Allegations against Chitungwiza Municipality are that the Councillors of a city that relies on Harare for water forked out US$700 for each delegate’s hotel bedding and meals.
The council promised to meet stakeholders for another workshop for the Chitungwiza community to have an appreciation of the organisation’s strategic planning.
