SEVERAL rural district councils may be abusing funds released as part of the Devolution Fund as some projects being claimed by officials are part of donor-funded programmes, NewsDay has established.
This emerged recently when officials at the Zvimba Rural District Council claimed that a community hall built through funding from donors was shown as a devolution funds project to Presidential Affairs and Devolution secretary Tafadzwa Muguti last week.
The Chenzou Community Hall was handed over to Mashonaland West provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Marian Chombo by the Chinese ambassador in June last year.
However, when Muguti visited Mashonaland West province on a familiarisation tour he was shown to Murombedzi Secondary School and Chenzou Community Hall as some of the projects built using devolution funds.
He was also taken to the Zvimba RDC offices at Murombedzi growth point to see a refuse collection truck and a grader bought using devolution funds.
But at Chenzou Community Hall, it was discovered was one of the projects the Chinese claimed to have built when it was commissioned last year.
Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding was part of the Chinese delegation that handed over the community hall to minister Chombo upon completion.
Asked why he was claiming that the hall was built using devolution funds, Zvimba chief executive Enias Chidhakwa rubbished claims by the Chinese that they contributed to the building of the hall labelling it as “misinformation by the Chinese”.
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“During the commissioning of their water project at the site the Chinese claimed that they also built the community hall but that’s not true. Putting labels ‘China Aid’ on the hall buildings as you can see is misinformation, they were not involved in building the hall,” he said.
Meanwhile, a villager Michael Chiriseri said the community provided labour and bricks that were paid for by the Chinese.
“We were paid for our labour and the farm bricks we made by the Chinese,” he said.
Chidhakwa confirmed that the community contributed and was paid by the Chinese.
But speaking earlier during an interactive meeting with local authorities, Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Marian Chombo was not amused by “good” reports presented by council officials.
“My concern is that you are painting a rosy picture here but it’s not what is reflecting on the ground. Even the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) is worried about the drop in service delivery nationwide,” Chombo said.
Pressed further on how much was used to construct the hall, Chidhakwa was evasive and promised to provide the figure but had not by the time of going to print.
Meanwhile, Muguti said President Emmerson Mnangagwa wants devolution funds to be used on developmental projects.
“We are very happy that Zvimba Rural District Council is proving to be very accountable so continue doing the good work that you are doing. I have been to some provinces but I can safely say you are one of the best in terms of tangible work that you are doing,” he said.
Government last year launched the Zimbabwe Inter-Governmental Fiscal Transfers System Administrative Manual, which seeks to guide local authorities to manage and process devolution funds in a transparent and accountable manner.
It also operationalised the constitutional provision that stipulates that at least 5% of national revenue raised in any financial year, should be allocated to provinces and local authorities as their share to foster development in the areas.
The devolution and decentralisation agenda is also one of the thematic areas of the National Development Strategy 1.
This is not the first time that councils have been flagged over devolution funds. Government last year blamed local authorities for using devolution funds to pay salaries instead of deploying the resources for infrastructural projects in urban areas.
Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Felix Mhona said during a parliamentary session that local authorities received funds from the Devolution Fund and the Road Fund administered by the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration and use the resources for other programmes.
