Rusape Residents Quest For Answers Amid Employees Firing & Suspension

Part 2

By Shingirai Vambe

RUSAPE- On the 13th of May 2025 Rusape Town Council Chairman, Lovemore Chifomboti reportedly spoke to Newsday, confirming to having suspended council engineer Charles Chindenga. Councillor Chifomboti is quoted saying, “We have suspended our Town Engineer, we are set to have another meeting tomorrow over the matter”. The supposed second meeting which took place Wednesday May 14 2025, was the Special full Council which adopted the suspension.

Despite having declined to comment when contacted by Post On Sunday, citing the reason that the Local authority has a spokesperson responsible for communicating Council issues with the media, Chifombiti went on to give the Newsday a comment.
However, it then boggles the mind which legal instrument and under whose mandate can the Councillors suspend the Town Engineer knowing Councillors operate by way of Council resolutions, the resolution of which was tabled and adopted after the said suspension.

This consolidates the public view that the Councillors are just lame ducks in the long battle between the Town Secretary Solomon Gabaza and Engineer Charles Chindenga whose animosity is a public secret.

Acting on a written script, a known Gabaza beneficiary and a close apologist Godfrey Mufanhewe also known as ‘Joytech’ has led the onslaught on the ‘suspended’ Engineer on various social media platforms trying hard to whip public opinion on the matter, questions are being asked how the news of the suspension of Chindenga was first broken on Tuesday by the same Joytech in his psuedo Concerned Residents Trust group.

Barely 24 hours after parroting false allegations, Mufaranhewe ran amok with videos and pictures of the Commission of Inquiry members reportedly from Redcliffe and Marondera already in Rusape touring the sewer spillages which he claimed to have been the reason why Chindenga had been suspended by “Councillors” a day before.

Joytech raised alarms and caused despondency among the residents, alleging that over 40 000 residents of Rusape were at risk of consuming contaminated water from Rusape dam due to flowing sewer from Mabvazuva and Magamba.

The Post On Sunday contacted Rusape Town Secretary, Mr Solomon Gabaza seeking for Current Water Test results, which we understood are conducted by the Ministry of Health and Childcare, Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Standard Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) and the Africa University (AU). Unfortunately Gabaza did not respond to the questions sent to him on his mobile phone.

Again, SAZ refused to issue out current tests results for portable water for RTC, only EMA, positively responded to this publication, confirming false allegations by Mufuranhewe.

EMA spokesperson Amkela Sidange told this publication that, “Following the enquiry, agencies ran around and from the submissions, the preliminary investigation results, there isn’t direct effluent discharge into Rusape Dam. Agencies have been monitoring hot spot areas where there is regular discharge of waste water into the environment, visible vandalized pipes allowing waste water flowing into residents gardens hardly possible to contaminate Rusape dam,” said Sidange.

She further added that there are other hot spots that her office are monitoring, in Vengere and Tsanzaguru.

Concerned residents also raised questions on the composition of the so called Commission, reportedly from Redcliffe and Marondera which was hurriedly roped in to conduct the inquiry into Engineer Chindenga’s suspension. “The Commission which we understand should only be done through the ministry and under the directive of the Minister’s office was coincidentally on the ground just a day after the sacking of Chindenga. Their prompt response leaves more questions than answers, on how they had already been paid their travelling allowances to be in Rusape within a day of Chindenga’s suspension and just to be on time for the task?” one resident quipped.

Ironically, the videos and pictures of the Commission of Inquiry’ team were immediately removed from the Concerned Residents Trust Group by the same group administrator ‘Joytech’ who had initially posted them.

Residents went further to ask why Councillors would suspend Chindenga Leaving out his Boss, who is the Chief Accounting Officer of all Council business, ultimately employed to make sure that service is delivered.

Indeed, these are the very same Councillors, who rescinded Sithole led Council resolution that suspended and sacked Gabaza, thereby allowing him to get a whooping USD $10 000 a month.

The Council resolution that this publication is in possession of confirm that Council allowed Gabaza E.C 100026 to get, ZWG $432.978. 116. 23 or USD $221.410.95 one residential stand at 10%, one free low density residential stand, one commercial stand to be bought at 10% and one industrial stand to be bought at 10%, signed by Council Chairperson, Lovemore Chifomboti on October 20 2023.

The total include arrears of his Basic salary, Responsibility, Representation, Entertainment, Security, House maid and Garden Boy, School fees, Electricity, Data, Cellphone worth USD $1880, laptop USD $2350 and full month fuel allocation worth USD $9 027 to mention just a few.

With an application pending response, challenging the illegal reinstatement, it is alleged money is exchanging hands and moving in various offices to keep Gabaza in office, despite the fact that he has pending cases to answer before the Court of law, with a 54 page investigation report submitted to Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Ministry of Local Government.

One council staff from the works department, commenting on condition of animosity told this publication that they are chasing Chindenga on false allegation. “If indeed it’s about flowing sewer, then definitely its not him but Council as whole, which has failed to acquire material to repair broken pipes,” he added.

He went further and said Council is owing over 91 employees salaries for the year 2023, 2024 and pending arrears for this year which has led to the suing of the local authority for non-payment of salaries, but without sympathy the same Council is giving Gabaza a pay check of his salary, benefits and back pay close to USD $10 000 per month which was not fair.

In a recent report by Manica post, the reporter highlighted why Chindenga was suspended, exposing the so called commission.

“I am sure you are aware of the history surrounding this situation,” said Engineer Chindenga, before declining to answer further questions. RTC has previously been involved in two incidents that led to Engineer Chindenga’s arrest over the past four years – only for him to be cleared by the courts on both occasions,” reports the Manica Post.

“The Manica Post has it on good authority that the council is accusing Engineer Chindenga of incompetence after he allegedly distanced himself from road construction works on commercial stands mushrooming along the Mutare-Harare Highway, citing the need to adhere to standards required by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development. Sources revealed that Engineer Chindenga’s reservations were not well-received by his superiors, and the works were subsequently transferred to the Planning Department for approval. Notably, several Councillors and Council officials own stands along that stretch,” writes the Post reporter.

The local DDC has also not been spared from attacks on the Rusape Concerned Residents group concerning the matter with some thin veiled attacks on the District Administrator Mashindi probably over a contrary view over the matter of the suspended Engineer.

The Post on Sunday revealed the onslaught against employees by Solomon Gabaza, which has led to the Local authority losing capacitated technocrats for selfish vendettas. Parroting on Whatsapp group after the ruling by Rusape Magistrate, Rufaro Mangwiro, Joytech went to town furious, claiming council will not pay the Sithole led Council who were arrested on false charges by Gabaza’s proxies and in the process Joytech alleges that it is Darlington Museka who made the report.

In his usual wisdom or lack of it, Joytech cites that the magistrate erred in assuming that the complainant was RTC. He claims Darlington Museka the then deputy DDC is the one who was the complainant, probably oblivious of the fact that the same Darlington Museka later chickened out and withdrew under pressure from being a complainant after realizing his imminent exposure for his alleged links with Gabaza.

Questions are that, how did he know that there was an abuse by Councillors in procuring for legal representation in Gabaza’s case. The Head of Procurement at RTC, Silvanos Shiri is a close relative of Gabaza and on several occasions his conflictions were cited by council during the period Gabaza was suspended.

The 54 page Investigation report which sacked Gabaza and was adopted by the Ministry of Local Government fingered Tendai Museka, son to Darlington Museka as one case of abuse of office by Gabaza when he was employed as a Housing Clerk under controversial circumstances by Gabaza. Tendai had earlier confessed before the Investigation team that he had been unprocedurally employed by Rusape Town Council when he responded to an internal job vacancy advert in which he claimed he had seen when he had come to pay his bills.

Tendai Museka unceremoniously resigned after having been fingered in the Rusape housing scandal that duped Council of hundreds of thousand Dollars.

Unconfirmed reports by previous council claim, Darlington Museka’s Mabvazuva stand has issues with Council which have been swept under the carpet by the Gabaza’s Administration who is said, whenever he visits South Africa, he is said to put up at Darlington Museka’s son based in SA.

Some residents have asked in writing, why is Joytech so much interested in Council business and directly supports Gabaza and defends him in all his shenanigans.

The Post On Sunday has it on good authority that Joytech who fought tooth and nail to foil the process of suspending Gabaza by the then Sithole led Council.

At one time he led a team of party activists at Mugodo Lodge where a meeting to adopt the suspension of Gabaza was to be held, trying hard to have the matter foiled on a lapse of a 14 day ultimatum technicality as provided by the Labour Act. However, the meeting was later held virtually on Whatsapp and subsequent meetings concerning the issue were held in Mutare under the instruction of the then Local Government Minister, July Moyo.

Joytech’s BC housing stand which he had previously been clandestinely awarded by Gabaza without following laid down procedures, without a Layout plan and the Department of Physical and Spatial Planning approval, was only regularized after the return of Gabaza to the throne and interestingly, one can only sing for his supper when there are lucrative benefits, and to that effect, he was in the RTC contingent that toured ZITF in Bulawayo in April 2025 probably on Council budget.

In his own words, he confidently assured the residents that the appeal by Council against the six ex Councillors over the USD $45 000 lawsuit will be dealt with, exposing his links and on numerous occasion bring the name and office of the Resident Minister, Advocate Misheck Mugadza into play.

“Town Chairman, Town secretary and Councilors you are on track, we are 100% behind you and you are not going anywhere whoever is planning total madness will return back to his roots.. Musha ndewedu.. Period… Tosangana kuOffice yaGovernor ikoko mapedza kunyora tsamba dzenyu,” noted Joytech

He went further to vent his anger, why should a focal government person in Makoni protect such incompetent personnel, referring to District Development Coordinator (DDC) Edward Mashindi, whose office represent the Local Government Minister at District level.

Setting the record straight, commenting on condition of anonymity, one council staff told the Post On Sunday that RTC has enough chemicals to treat portable drinking water for the residents, available for three months as required by the law.

Former Council Chairman, Lyton Sithole told this publication that, Rusape water was second safest and cleanest water to drink after Mutare in Zimbabwe, and assured residents that claims by one resident are malicious and deserve to be treated with the highest contempt they deserve.

Meanwhile, Rusape Magistrate, Rufaro Mangwiro on May 9 2025 granted Cityville Dental Service Pvt Ltd (Mwashayenyi) a default Judgement against Rusape Town Council, Roadstar Logistics Pvt Ltd, Hurntspine Enterprises Pvt Ltd who were interdicted from demolishing and erecting barricades at shop 38 Tongogara Street, Rusape.

The judgement came at the backdrop of a case involving Gabaza’s close relative, Head Procurement, Silvanos Shiri, in awarding a one week old company tender to reconstruct the old education building.

The Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) team told this publication that the matter is still under investigation and they will soon contact with their findings, with this publication already working on Part 3 of Rusape Town Council, CCC Councillors, the Local Government Board and the Ministry of Local Government’s involvement in the circus.

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