Zinara yet to disburse $8m to Harare council

By Helen Kadirire

Harare City Council (HCC) is yet to receive over $8 million from the $12 million that the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) allocated to the municipality. According to environmental management committee minutes, the last disbursement of road funds was made on May 22 this year.

“The director of works (Zvenyika Chawatama) reported that from January to May 30 this year interim certificates worth $12 810 734, 97 were submitted to Zinara for payment.

“The latter had disbursed $4 560 128,91 to the city and a balance of $8 250 606,03 was outstanding and some interim certificates remained unpaid,” read the minutes.

Zinara spokesperson Augustine Moyo could not be reached for comment as both his mobile phones were switched off.

The minutes note that through the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP), council required $55,1 million.

Committee chairperson Herbert Gomba said $450 000 had been approved by the Finance ministry for the repair and overlay of Mbare Musika.

He said a further $4 million was provided for and being governed by Zinara to fund the presidential routes.

“Not all contractors had been paid from the disbursed funds as trucking and construction had also not been paid.

“The contractors engaged to carry out ERRP works had scaled down their operations due to delays in payments for work done,” he said.

The late disbursement comes as councillors complained that some contractors had not done any works on the roads despite being paid.

Mabvuku councillor Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi said there were companies that were not doing any work yet council had released funds to them.

Kufahakutizwi said Chawatama should re-look into those contracts because “we cannot pay people for services that they are not providing.”

“In Mabvuku there is a company called Tarcon that council contracted to repair the roads.

“All they did was dump gravel by the roadside and park their vehicles. Since they came they have not done anything yet you see people everyday manning the road maintenance vehicles,” he said.  DailyNews