REPRESENTATIVES of business in Marondera last week walked out of a budget consultative meeting accusing council of failing to address their concerns over the past years.
BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
Discussions were mostly centred on erratic water supplies and the opaque allocation of stands at Hunyani Timberland.
The atmosphere got tense as insults were hurled between councillors and business association representatives who walked away demanding that their concerns be addressed first before they could participate in the budget formulation process.
Some of the councillors openly told the infuriated participants that they were politicising the meeting with some accusing business of being agents of the G40 cabal.
Council chamber secretary Rinashe Nyamuzihwa tried in vain to persuade business representatives to stay on.
Marondera Central legislator Caston Matewu said there was need for residents to speak with one voice for the benefit of the community.
“Marondera is for everyone and there is no business association that can bully people. I sit in the Local Governance Portfolio Committee and I understand that all local authorities are having serious challenges. We need to collectively alleviate all the problems bedevilling us. However, council needs to meet the business associations and speak with one voice. We have 80 000 residents and they should be aware of council business,” he said.
