STAFF WRITER
RURAL communities in Lupane have fumed at the reports that the Lupane Local Board and Kusile Rural District Council have for the past six years allegedly been abusing funds meant for roads rehabilitation from the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (ZINARA).
This was revealed by the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (Zimcodd) in their latest report.
The report indicated that the funds were at some point diverted to council staff salaries and travel subsistence allowances.
In reaction, the Rural Communities Empowerment Trust coordinator Vumani Ndlovu said the new development if true calls for a probe.
“If it’s true then this calls for constitutionally mandated bodies that are created to curb corruption such as the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZAAC), it also calls for active citizen participation that will be able to monitor and demand answers from authorities, because without that the abuse of funds will continue,” Ndlovu told The Zambezi Times.
He added: “While ZACC will be carrying out their mandate with the view of bringing to book those that have abused the funds it also calls for active participation of citizens that will be able to demand accountability from service providers.”
Nldovu further noted that there is also need to probe financial systems of the local authorities in Lupane.
“There is need to look into the financial systems and see how they crafted and how they are able to curb corruption, there is need to see whether they are crafted in the manner that will ensure accountability in the management of council funds.”
Kusile RDC is in charge of rural Lupane while the Lupane Local Board administers the town centre.
Lupane is one of the fast growing towns with a huge government complex to be occupied by civil servants set to be complete by year end. The presence of the Lupane State University has also brought more business to the Matabeleland North province capital.
