MDC A’s Bulawayo Council blows $1.5 million on a 2 days workshop

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Officials and councilors from Bulawayo City Council, (BCC) reportedly spend close to $1.5 million on an out-of-town 2-day workshop, which reportedly angered some concerned residents, The Sunday News reports.

According to the publication, BCC officials held a 2-day workshop between 3 and 4 December at Matobo Hills as an annual general meeting for Ingwebu Breweries which is wholly owned by BCC and all councilors reportedly attended the event.

The Annual General Meeting for Ingwebu Breweries for the 2018 financial year end has been overdue and had therefore been scheduled for 3 December 2020 at Matopo Hills Lodge. This had been scheduled together with a City of Kings Business Venture projects update workshop on 4 December 2020.
Travelling was scheduled for 2 December 2020, departing 3.30pm. The Town Clerk felt that there was a need to also include the cost of the workshop which was estimated to be approximately $1,5 million. He emphasised on the need for transparency on such issues

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Residents were not pleased by the move according to Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association coordinator, Mr. Emmanuel Ndlovu who said:

This is completely unacceptable. The local authority has been irresponsible with funds. It’s an indication of collective blindness on the part of BCC over failure to manage expenses despite the fact that council is fiscally distressed. The amount is too much for 20 councillors trained over two days.

However, Bulawayo Mayor Councilor Soloman Mguni said Ingwebu footed the bill for the annual general meeting:

I am not aware of the councillors workshop and the said costs of $1,5 million. What I am aware of is the Ingwebu Breweries Annual General meeting that was arranged by the company and councillors attended as shareholder representatives in terms of the Charter.
So, the costs attended to the logistics can only be known by the company executives who arranged for the statutory meeting that has to be held in terms of the law.
–The Sunday News