Following a letter sent to Harare Mayor Herbert Gomba by Minister of Local Government July Moyo, the Mayor has come out guns blazing and baring all for the public to judge.
Moyo sent a letter that filtered into the public accusing the council of sourcing water treatment chemicals on the parallel market thereby sidelining Chemplex, a chemical manufacturing company owned by the government. Moyo also questioned the move on the basis that the council already owes Chemplex $75 million.
Gomba defended himself on Sunday, arguing that the council is beng owe by residents, busness, government, Chitungwiza and Norton Councils as well as a political party. He also revealed that the government has not yet approved their 2020 budget.
“Yes it’s true we owe Chemplex $75million because we are owed $1 billion by our residents, Business, government ,Chitungwiza and Norton councils and a political party, we have the means to pay all this money but government must approve our budget ,we cannot meet our current costs using a stale budget,” Gomba said.
“My job is to keep Harare afloat despite challenges, to be honest before I negotiated with government Harare was operating to pay Zimra, it’s incredible that we have paid salaries,and other recurrent expenses using a budget for 2019, we are focused on the transformation agenda residents first,” he continued.
“It’s disheartening that those that owe our council huge sums of money either as individuals or groupings are the leading critics of the same institution they owe ,I am not sure what has happened to our morals but God willing we shall overcome,we shall never mourn .”
“It’s only in Zim where Chemplex which draws City of Harare water from the Cleveland dam at 2019 rates because our budget hasn’t been approved demands its money from the same institution (City of Harare) which it charges huge sums of money from rates they peg using inter-bank market figures,” Gomba ranted on Twitter.