Seven local authorities are facing prosecution and have been banned from accessing the US$27 million Road Maintenance Fund for allegedly squandering resources meant for repairing roads in their jurisdictions.

The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) blacklisted Bulilima, Gwanda, Karoi, Marondera, Kariba, Plumtree and Bindura municipalities for abusing the funds over the last two years.

All councils were this year expected to receive a cumulative US$27 million.

According to a schedule made available to The Sunday Mail last week, Bulilima Rural District Council is being accused of misappropriation of the funds while the Bindura Urban Council is said to have failed to meet the prescribed technical standards.

Marondera Urban Council failed to account for funds it received last year while Gwanda, Karoi, Kariba and Plumtree urban councils were suspended for failing to remit taxes.

Commenting on the suspension, the Secretary for Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development, Mr Partson Mbiriri, said the local authorities were likely to face prosecution.

“We take the view that being denied further Road Fund disbursements is punishment enough except where criminality has been detected; in which case the law should take its course,” he said.

Mr Mbiriri said the councils had stalled road maintenance in their respective areas by diverting the funds.

“Where Road Funds are diverted, it means the roads of that local authority are neither maintained nor repaired, resulting in poor roads.”

He said each beneficiary should submit a works programme as part of efforts to ensure accountability.“ The Road Fund is a public fund whose use must be known and accounted for. Such funds can only be disbursed for known and approved

purposes in terms of a programme of works.

“Where none is prepared or produced, road funds cannot be released to such a road authority as there will be no basis for such a release or disbursement and subsequent monitoring of the utilisation of such funds,” he said.

Mr Mbiriri said one of the concerned municipalities failed to submit a programme of works for two consecutive years.

“One municipal road authority has failed to prepare and produce a programme of works over the past two years. Not only is the production and submission of a programme of works to Zinara a statutory requirement, it also makes common administrative sense,” he said.

The secretary urged the local authorities to put their houses in order first before attempting to access the fund.

“Clearly, under such circumstances, the affected road authorities should put  their houses in order before they can expect any further disbursements from Zinara.

“Any such disbursements would not be prudent. Disbursing road funds into a garnished account results in such money going to make good what is owed to Zimra to the detriment of the development, repair and maintenance of roads.”

Zinara corporate communications executive Mr Augustine Moyo said the authorities would miss out on the US$27 million that will be disbursed this year.

“I can confirm that some road authorities were blacklisted and there are those that had their road funds accounts garnished by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) because of outstanding dues.

“We will require them to settle their outstanding obligations with Zimra, put back our money into the Road Fund account and make proper acquittals of that money.

“Every road authority has an allocation, but accessing it depends on the acquittals. This year, we will disburse US$27 million for routine maintenance,” said Mr Moyo.

There are 32 urban councils whose responsibility is to construct,  maintain and rehabilitate every road in their respective jurisdictions in accordance with road programmes approved by Zinara. There are also 60 rural district councils that carry out maintenance work on tertiary roads.