EXECUTIVES at Bikita Rural District Council dissolved a private company, Bikita Hanyanya Investments (Pvt) Ltd, which was collecting revenue on behalf of the local authority for nearly two years immediately after the arrival of an investigating team from the ministry of Local Government on 12 February 2024.
MORRIS BISHI
After the closure of the company which occurred in the middle of the night, the management of the firm blocked bank accounts which were used by the company in a bid to evade scrutiny by a team from the parent ministry. The company was owned by council but running as a separate entity.
The arrival of an investigative team from the ministry of Local Government led to the death of chief executive officer Peter Chibi on 11 March through suicide by taking a poisonous substance.
Bikita Hanyanya, which commenced operations in early 2022, was running Pambudzi Lodge, a council conservancy in Save Valley, Mukondo Mine. The company was also enforcing traffic by-laws collecting parking revenue, as well as collecting revenue from vendors and businesses operating in and around Nyika Growth Point.
The private company was registered on 3 June 2021 with the late chief executive Chibi and finance director Never Mavhuna holding 50% of its shares each.
In early 2022, Bikita Rural District Council was in the eye of a storm after the local authority acquired top-of-the-range vehicles for its executives without approval from the government at a cost of US$380 000.
Bikita Business Association chairperson Charles Musimiki told The NewsHawks that local residents and businesspeople were shocked to note that a company which used to collect revenue on behalf of council suddenly disappeared. He said it is their prayer as ratepayers that the matter be fully investigated and all culprits held answerable for their actions.
“We are still surprised at how Bikita Hanyanya, a company owned by council, disappeared and we don’t know what happened. Its disappearance is a sign which shows that it was operating for the benefit of certain people. It is our hope that authorities will make sure that all those who benefitted from our funds should be brought to book,” said Musimiki.
Bikita Residents and Ratepayers Association spokesperson Lucky Mukomondero said the changing of staff and receipt books from Bikita Hanyanya to Bikita Rural District Council overnight exonerates residents who raised alarm against the formation of the company in 2022. He said an independent audit should investigate the private company so that it can be exposed.
“We protested after the formation of this company and its unclear closure exonerates our 2022 actions. Authorities should bring bring auditors to extensively look into the books of this company. We suspect that money was being embezzled, depriving us of the much-needed service delivery,” said Mukomondero.
Bikita Rural District Council chairperson Thomas Mataga told The NewsHawks that Bikita Hanyanya was closed after it was realised that its operations were not beneficial to the local authority and an audit will soon be instituted into its operations.
He confirmed that an investigative team from ministry of Local Government was recently at his local authority and they are yet to hear the outcome of their visit.
Finance director Never Mavhuna, who is also a director of Bikita Hanyanya, was evasive when this reporter called him for a comment. He asked this reporter the destination of the information he was asking for.
“Are you investigating me and why are you asking information about that company? What is your motive in asking me all those questions? Can you forward your questions to our email address so that we can look into the issue,” said Mavhuna.
A councillor within the local authority told The NewsHawks that the closure of the company was done at midnight on 12 February when investigators from the ministry arrived.
He said on 13 February CBZ and ZB banks accounts which were used by the company were blocked and council took over the collection of revenue.
