By Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo|Provincial Minister of State For Masvingo Province Shuvai Ben Mahofa has been caught in the act siphoning council money.
She was caught in diversion attempts of ratepayers’ back account for her party Zanu PF’s expenses incurred during the just ended national conference.
This came as it emerged institutions in and around Masvingo were forced to make secret donations towards the Zanu PF conference.
Mahofa wrote several letters to different institutions in the province instructing them to donate money towards
the Zanu PF conference, but the city council turned down Mahofa’s directive, it has emerged.
The directive came at a time several institutions and parastatals are struggling to remain afloat as the country’s economy continues to crumble.
According to city council minutes leaked to ZimEye.com, councillors and management turned down the minister’s instruction, citing the critical financial problems currently tormenting the local authority. The local authority also resolved not to fund a political cause.
“The house respectfully turned down the request on the basis that traditionally council does not make donations to political parties but to the State. It was resolved and recommended that the request for donations towards the Zanu PF People’s Conference be turned down in line with council’s tradition of not making donations to political parties,” read part of the minutes.
Ward 4 councillor Godfrey Kurauone also said the council did not have such funds in its coffers.
“The city council does not fund political parties but state events. What if all political parties demand funds from us? We have other obligations to meet and above all we do not have such funds,” said Kurauone.