Investigations Reveal Coordinated Looting And A Systematic Cover Up By Authorities For Rusape Town Council

By Shingirai Vambe

A detailed investigation by The Post On Sunday has revealed a staggering breakdown of accountability inside Rusape Town Council, where Town Secretary Solomon Gabaza was reinstated despite two extensive investigation and determination reports, one 54 pages long and another 89 pages, finding him guilty on nearly all charges of misconduct, abuse of office, financial impropriety, and corruption.

The reports, which this newspaper has obtained, show that Gabaza’s misconduct spanned several years and involved financial manipulation, illegal stand allocations, self-benefiting back-pay schemes, and deliberate flouting of council procedures. He was dismissed in 2020 following a full disciplinary hearing. Yet the current council, working against the recommendations of the disciplinary authority and the Ministry of Local Government, quietly reinstated him, allowing him to resume the very activities he had been punished for.

The findings raise fresh questions about systemic corruption, political interference, and the collapse of oversight in local governance structures.

Gabaza joined Rusape Town Council as an Administrator then Town Treasurer and became Town Secretary in 2017 when former Secretary, Joshua Maligwa left, joing the Mutare City.

Documents show that upon entering office, he immediately initiated controversial back-pay allocations for council senior staff, himself included. Despite no formal justification for such payments.

According to internal financial records reviewed by this newspaper, the Town Secretary’s back-pay allocation was several times higher than that of his subordinates. The disciplinary findings reported that these payments were “unnecessary, unauthorized, and executed with full knowledge that they contravened established financial controls.”

After his return in 2023, a staggering figure of US$249000 has been awarded to him by the very council and getting almost US$10000 a month as means to cover for his arrears during the suspension and dismissal period.

Council accountants who testified during the hearing described his actions as “a complete failure of stewardship,” adding that his decisions placed the council at significant financial risk.

In 2020, following months of complaints from staff, Councillors, and residents, Gabaza was placed on forced leave and later suspended without salary. A special council meeting, guided by the Minister of Local Government, formally adopted his suspension and approved the charges of misconduct.

The disciplinary authority, appointed under the Labour Act and guided by Statutory Instrument 15 of 2006, conducted a comprehensive hearing, during which 33 counts were brought before him. These included, abuse of office, procedural allocation of stands, financial manipulation, authorizing illegal payments, misrepresenting council decisions, disruption of council meetings, unprocedural employment processes and ignoring procurement procedures.

Former council accountant Grace Margaret Kembo, who left council as a result of victimization, was the first witness, gave extensive testimony detailing the Town Secretary’s “consistent failure at every level of management.” Her testimony alone covered more than a third of the allegations.

The hearing noted that Gabaza and his lawyer of, Sengwe Law Chambers, repeatedly failed to attend scheduled sessions, despite proper service of notices. The tribunal ruled that he had “waived his right to be heard.”

The disciplinary panel ultimately found him guilty on most charges and recommended his dismissal.

The Ministry of Local Government concurred. Yet in a dramatic twist, when a new council came into office, led by Lovemore Chifomboti, Gabaza was quietly reinstated.

Despite having the full disciplinary record, running into more than 140 pages, the new Councillors reversed the dismissal. The decision was not communicated formally to residents, nor was it supported by any new investigation, instead, Councillors moved swiftly to, reinstate Gabaza, restored his full benefits, approved additional back-pay, gave him authority over land allocations again and indeed the man has again sang the same hymn book, with him alone having one Ridgemond stand, which he got as part of the endowment fee to council by Ridgemond/Sakupwanya and another commercial stand along Harare Mutare highway, next to Zuva service station and his close allies also benefiting from the loot.

A senior official at the Local Government Ministry confirmed to The Post On Sunday that the reinstatement was done without consultation, with the Local Government Board alone moving in his favor, the Ministry called it “a dangerous move that undermines the rule of law.”

Within months of his return, reports emerged that Gabaza had resumed unprocedural land allocations, this time with even more impunity. Stands were allegedly handed out to sitting Councillors, associates, relatives, and business allies.

Residents and Rusape Council staff confirmed with this publication that applications for stands have stalled, development has slowed, and council finances are in disarray.

Despite the disciplinary findings revealing clear criminal breaches, including fraud, corrupt practices, and abuse of office, neither the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), the Ministry of Local Government, nor the courts have taken action.

Residents argue that this silence has emboldened council officials.

The reinstatement of a figure found guilty on 26 counts, observers say, signals a complete failure of state oversight mechanisms.

The Rusape case paints a broader picture of the systemic rot plaguing Zimbabwe’s local authorities, millions of dollars lost through mismanagement, council land looted and allocated without procedure, officials returning to office despite guilty verdicts and political protectionism shielding corrupt administrators.

For many residents, development has stalled. Infrastructure projects have halted, service delivery has deteriorated, and council coffers continue to shrink while senior officials enrich themselves.

As investigations continue, The Post On Sunday will publish detailed excerpts from the disciplinary findings and testimonies outlining how deep the corruption runs, evidence that was ignored by the very council meant to protect public resources.

Meanwhile, one of the implicated former council employees, Tendai Museka, is reportedly on the run after his alleged accomplice was denied bail in a case involving the illegal allocation of residential stands in Rusape. Museka, investigators say, was irregularly hired by former Town Secretary Solomon Gabaza and later became central to some of the questionable land transactions now under scrutiny.