Pomona Deal: Minister quizzed over debt collection letters
Deputy Minister of Local Government Marian Chombo had a torrid time in the National Assembly trying to defend her ministry over the Geogenix BV debt letter to Harare City Council.
The Ministry of local government has written several letters to the City of Harare demanding that it must Geogenix BV contractual obligations funds.
Harare City Council has refused to pay arguing that it has no capacity and also that it wants the deal to be cancelled.
Legislators however took advantage of the a question and answer session to quiz the deputy minister.
Below is the full text of what transpired:
HON. MAHLANGU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government. The Minister wrote a letter to the City of Harare to pay the so-called outstanding amount to Pomona Company. Is it the duty of the Minister to act as debt collector on behalf of the private company?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Surely, the Ministry of Local Government is not a debt collector. We are the line Ministry and the local authorities fall under the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. If a contractor or anybody brings a complaint or request through the Ministry, it is our duty to contact the relevant local authority to try and address the complaint or the request. If the local authority has got a contractual agreement with any supplier, definitely they have to honour up to it. Thank you.
HON. MADZIMURE: Mr. Speaker, does the Minister now want us to believe that the Ministry has the duty – [HON. MLISWA: Inaudible interjection] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, when you speak, some Hon. Members listen to you but you do not want to listen to other Members. You can proceed Hon. Member.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister trying to tell this House that all of a sudden the Ministry now has the responsibility of acting on behalf of a private company that has its own lawyers and administration that looks at its own issues? Does the Minister want us to believe that it is the Ministry that is in contract with the City of Harare? Where in the Acts of Zimbabwe do we have a law that allows a Minister to follow up on a credit?
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. Thank you also Hon. Madzimure for the follow up question. I answered this as a general question, not being specific to the Pomona letter that was brought up. In general, as the Local Government Ministry, any complaint that comes from anybody within Zimbabwe, it is our duty to make sure that the relevant authority addresses it. I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: My supplementary question is that the Minister cannot get away with receiving complaints from stakeholders. There is a process, there is a procedure. Even the President himself with the powers invested in him, if there is a theft complaint, he does not go and arrest. He uses the institutions which are there to do the job. There
are three tiers of the Government which are local authorities, provincial and central and they have got their powers. They make binding resolutions in whatever they do. The devolution is not about you wanting to just give and spend money. Devolution is about respecting the power as well. Power devolves as well. You cannot say you are at Central Government and you are making a decision to override. There are processes and procedures…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, what is your supplementary question?
HON. T. MLISWA: My point is; they cannot ask about fire tenders. You are talking about people coming to complain, who came to complain? Masvingo has got fire tenders but you gave them a fire tender, they resolved. Where is the resolution from the council to say they need a fire tender? There are certain priorities and the basic requirements required for service delivery which we have not met. So in essence, Government brought those machines through a Government to Government analysis. I propose that you do not burden the ratepayers if it is so. Just do like they did with us in the mechanisation programme where Government absorbed the debt. Do not burden the ratepayers who are already suffering from a tight economic environment. It is utter rubbish; so what powers can you tell us – the section which gives you the powers to be able to override and not only that, these people have got their lawyers too – why are their lawyers not doing the job….
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please!
HON. T. MLISWA: To us, we are really tired – next time can we have Hon. J. Moyo not her, she is being used as a punching bag. You must stop being used as a punching bag; the Hon. Minister must be here himself. KuCabinet anoenda kunogara, maCity Council anoenda kunotyisidzira vanhu nebvudzi rewhite riya riya kuti vasaine maresolutions asina basa, taneta nazvo.
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you Hon. Speaker and Hon. T. Mliswa. For your information, the Pomona deal was given a national project status and as such, it has national interest. I thank you. – THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. Order please!-
