July Moyo Throwing Local Authorities In Legal Debt Bin

By Shingirai Vambe

Rusape- Residents in Makoni District have expressed concern on the country’s political landscape which is highly likely to live them with dilapidated infrastructure and litigation debts.

The situation which is better explained and expressed by Harare metropolitan, when the Minister of Local Government and National Housing, July Moyo, descended on Harare mayor, Jacob Mafume, the same is happening in Rusape where the town council engineer and Acting Town Council secretary Charles Chindenga got suspended.

Chindenga who is jointly charged with other 8 Councilors for criminal abuse of office, was asked to stay at home after July Moyo issued a circular then an order to all Local Authority members who have pending cases before the courts.

With the already divided council caused by politics four councilors including the current chairman belong to MDC T and the other four belonging to Nelson Chamisa Led party Citizens Coalition for Change, Rusape town is yet to face if not addressed another court battle as seen woth former secretary, late Joshua Maligwa.

Local authorities across the country have faced the same fate with employed staffers resorting to legal and labor courts to resolve their disputes, contracts and terms of references on the signing of their contracts.

Residents who spoke to Post On Sunday on condition of Anonymity said the move by Rusape town Council was not only going to affect or satisfy Councilors and ambitious council administration but it would also affect residents on services delivery.

Residents applauded Chindenga’s efforts and results after he took over from the suspended secretary Solomon Gabaza for abuse of office.

Earlier Rusape Town Council lost a case against the late Mutare Clerk, Joshua Maligwa and other cases which the former Secretary Solomon Gabaza was pushing from his corner which made him lose his job.

Some councillors had refused to adopt the minister’s directive seeking to meet him physically and interface on a number of issues that may affect Rusape Town Council later, but the MDC T and one Zanu Pf councilor Clever Chimuse insisted that they adopt and agree with the directive.

The move by Councilors has left some staffers at the council with no choice but to support and get the opportunity and space to the higher office of the Town Secretary.

Sources revealed to this publication that the purported letter was writer in December only to be signed and stamped in February and possibilities are that it was not the minister who signed the letter as he is out of the country.

A defunct resident trust group has welcomed the move by the minister and councilors in adopting the directive but earlier attacked the minister aligning him to another Zanu Pf faction for not positively responding to their factional issues saying former Minister Saviour Kasukuwere was better.

Chindenga who was removed from remand and returned to work was arrested together with eight councilors on charges to do with procurement however, the constitution and Urban Councils Act is clear on the procedure.

On the pending case before the courts, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption, Special Anti-corruption Unit and National Prosecuting Authority have failed to present a docket and or charge before the court and the 8 have since applied to be removed from remand, the complainant on the matter was assistant District Coordinator (DDC) Darlington Museka

“There is too much politicking and interference in our council, right now the engineer is at home.

After sitting as an acting Accounting Officer Chindenga managed to run Rusape Town through team work and accountability without any debt,” said one councilor.