Cleared by Courts, Condemned by Residents, Rusape Council at Crossroads

By Shingirai Vambe

Suspended and later discharged Rusape Town Council officials, Togarepi Nerwande and Morris Tekwa, have since resumed their duties at the local authority following a court ruling that effectively cleared them of wrongdoing, after the State failed to place before the court sufficient evidence to sustain criminal charges.

The two senior officials had been arrested together with former Council Engineer Arnold Mandizvidza Kutoka by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) over allegations of criminal abuse of office linked to a controversial land lease deal involving a proposed solar energy project in Tsanzaguru, Rusape. The trio had been accused of unlawfully resuscitating a previously rejected land application between September and December 2022 without following legally prescribed procedures.

According to the allegations, the officials were said to have revived an application by Texas Energy (Pvt) Ltd, which in 2018 had sought council land to establish a solar power plant. The proposal had earlier been rejected by the Ministry of Local Government on the grounds that land in the area was limited and zoned for residential development. ZACC alleged that the officials colluded to override this position without obtaining fresh ministerial approval or conducting mandatory public consultations required when changing land-use designation.

The three were charged under Section 174 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which relates to criminal abuse of office. However, when the matter came before the courts, the State failed to furnish the necessary court papers and evidence to substantiate the allegations. As a result, Nerwande, Tekwa and Kutoka applied for discharge, which the court granted, paving the way for the officials to walk free.

Following the ruling, Nerwande and Tekwa returned to work at Rusape Town Council, a development that has reignited intense public debate around governance, accountability and selective application of disciplinary measures at the local authority.

The arrests of Nerwande and Tekwa had come in the aftermath of internal power struggles at council, which residents say have paralysed service delivery and plunged the institution into prolonged instability. The two were arrested after the suspension of Town Engineer Charles Chindenga by councillors led by council chairperson Lovemore Chifomboti. Chindenga later challenged his suspension at the Labour Court and was cleared, with the court ordering his immediate reinstatement on full benefits. https://postonsunday.co.zw/2026/01/07/rusapes-latest-legal-attempt-ends-in-failure/

However, despite the court ruling, Chindenga remains at home, and during a recent special full council meeting, councillors allegedly ignored the court directive, much to the dismay of residents who had expected his reinstatement to take effect without delay. The selective compliance with court rulings has raised serious legal and ethical questions among ratepayers.

Council, Town Secretary, Solomon Gabaza and their legal representatives, reportedly met and further discussed the pending reinstatement.

Residents argue that the continued suspensions, dismissals and legal battles are draining an already struggling council that has reportedly failed to pay workers’ salaries for more than 24 months. Morale among employees has sunk to its lowest, while service delivery in the town has deteriorated sharply.

At the centre of the storm is Town Secretary Gabaza, whom residents accuse of presiding over a toxic culture of personal vendettas, administrative paralysis and abuse of council resources. Gabaza had previously been fired by a council led by then Chairperson, Lyton Sithole after facing effective 26 counts of alleged misconduct, corruption and abuse of office.

Residents maintain that his subsequent return to office was politically motivated, and they accuse him of defying accountability processes by failing to appear before a tribunal that reportedly found him guilty.

“The rot starts from the head,” residents allege, arguing that Gabaza’s continued stay in office has crippled council operations. Calls are growing for his immediate removal and for the establishment of an independent commission to investigate and interrogate the affairs of Rusape Town Council.

Past investigative articles published between 2016 and 2017 had already raised concerns about Gabaza’s suitability for the office, pointing to alleged deficiencies in requisite knowledge, administrative capacity and leadership acumen required to run a local authority. Over the years, residents say, the “big shoes” of the town secretary’s office have only further exposed these weaknesses.

The internal conflict reportedly intensified during the period when both Chindenga and Nerwande served in acting capacities in the town secretary’s office. Residents say that during their tenure, council business moved swiftly, development projects gained momentum and administrative bottlenecks were significantly reduced. This has left many questioning why council appears reluctant to reinstate Chindenga, despite a clear court order, and whether the ruling is being deliberately ignored.

However, their acting capacity has in many ways created animosity, residents allege

As governance turmoil continues to dominate Rusape Town Council, tragedy struck the community on another front. On January 15, 2026, the body of a 13-year-old child who had been swept away by floodwaters after the Rusape Dam wall overflowed near Tsanzaguru was discovered. The body was found at the very same spot where eyewitnesses had last seen the child before he went missing, bringing a heartbreaking end to days of anxious searching.

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