Rehabilitation of the Rusike and Marondera flats located in Dombotombo was supposed to have started early last month. The giant residential project was abandoned in 2005, after council declared them unsafe for human dwelling.
“The council had successfully hired AQS Company to carry out the $85, 000 building facelift. AQS offered to foot all expenses and later recover the costs through rentals. Unfortunately, some short sighted MDC-T ward councillors made false reports to their party headquarters suggesting money had changed hands, resulting in the collapse of the project,” said a council management source.
He said following the false reports, MDC-T officials from Harare visited council offices. They reportedly called for a re-advertisement of the contract tender.
“Despite technical advice and resistance from top council officials, the MDC eventually got its way. AQS was forced to withdraw its services and was replaced by another company identified as Builders Contract.”
It was later discovered that Builders Contract had no interest in carrying out the rehabilitation exercise.
Town Mayor, Farai Nyandoro, confirmed the development but said the council would re-advertise the tenders.
“Events leading to the suspension of the project where regrettable. As a council, we expected to cash in on the hostel project, since tenants are a valuable source of our revenue. Tenants were supposed to occupy the 200 roomed flats by the end of this month.”
He said had the Council-AQS deal been passed, AQS would have pocketed 60 percent of the revenue collected in monthly rentals for the coming five years. The council would have collected the remaining 40 percent.
Post published in: News