BY KENNETH NYANGANI
MUTARE City Council has bought luxury vehicles for its top executives amid reports that at least US$320 000 has been set aside for the exercise.
Mayor Blessing Tandi told Standardpeople on Friday that the exercise was meant to retain critical skills and boasted that Mutare was one of the best paying local authorities in the country.
Council has already bought a Toyota Fortuner and a Toyota Hilux for health director Antony Mutara and housing director Emma Mantiziba respectively, while directors in the engineering and finance departments are also set to take delivery of their top-of-the-range vehicles soon.
“I understand that some people will not be happy seeing us buying vehicles for our directors and they have started coming as we speak right now,” Tandi said.
“We want to incentivise our workers, we need to keep them happy so that they can do their work and focus on service delivery issues.
“We are buying vehicles ranging from Fortuners to Toyota Hilux GD6s and we have so far purchased two vehicles for the housing director and health director.
“They now have their vehicles. We want to lure the best services and talent in the country.
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“We also want to buy cars for the directors’ deputies and the planners, but for a start we said the directors should get their vehicles first.
“They are very critical in providing services to our city.
“Mutare City is one of the best paying local municipalities in the country.
“If you want to compare you can do that and you can see that people are working very hard.”
He said council has budgeted at least US$2 million for its recapitalisation project.
“We are not only looking on our managers, but we are also recapitalising the city,” Tandi said.
“A grader is coming, we tendered for a bowser, refuse compactors and other equipment is coming,” Tandi said.
He also said council was missing the services of the late town clerk Joshua Maligwa, who succumbed to Covid-19 early this year and was replaced by Health director Antony Mutara who is serving in an acting capacity.
