Mayor rejects luxury vehicle

Southern Eye

By Blessed Mhlanga

29 October 2013

KWEKWE mayor Matenda Madzoke has turned down an offer by the local authority to buy him a new 4×4 Toyota D Tec at a time service delivery has almost collapsed.

Councillor Weston Masiya said the previous council led by Shadreck Tobaiwa had passed a resolution to purchase the mayoral vehicle for $68 000 with part of the deposit having already been
paid.

“We had passed that resolution to purchase the car and up to the time we left office the vehicle had not been bought, but a deposit of $38 000 was paid. We are supposed to pay another $16 000 before taking delivery of the car,” he said.

Madzoke has since instructed council to use the $38 000 already paid by council to acquire a refuse removal tractor or truck.

“I’m not going to be driving a brand new expensive vehicle on roads with potholes which are littered with heaps of uncollected refuse and call myself a mayor,” he said.

“I was put into office to ensure service delivery and that is going to be my first priority.”

Masiya confirmed Madzoke had declined the offer of the vehicle at a time council was struggling to meet its wage bill on time.

“He was very clear that service delivery should come first and I fully support him. Being a mayor means prioritising what is important for the city,” he said.

In 2012, council tabled a capital budget which would have seen it acquire five top-of-the-range 4x4s for its top management and mayor for a whopping $450 000.

The budget triggered a war between residents and the local authority which saw Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo being invited to investigate allegations of corruption.

Former Education minister David Coltart is another prominent politician who refused a luxury government vehicle as part of his perks.

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