Beitbridge engineer faces incompetence charges

BEITBRIDGE town engineer Douglas Siphuma has appeared before a disciplinary hearing to answer to a variety of charges related to incompetence.

However, the details about the hearing have not been made public.

Town clerk Loud Ramakgapola yesterday said he could not give further details on the matter as he was an interested party.

“I was the complainant and it will be unfair to comment on a hearing that has not yet been finalised,” Ramagkapola told NewsDay.

Mayor Munyaradzi Chitsunge said he did not have a copy of the charge sheet, but confirmed that the disciplinary hearing revolved around issues of incompetence.

“Basically, he has allegedly been failing to execute his duties, failing to supervise subordinates and also failed to implement recommendations from a commission that investigated issues of service failure in 2019,” he said.

Siphuma is accused of failing to implement selection and placement of suitably qualified personnel, procurement of key service delivery equipment and vehicles, the need to follow a standard operating procedure and a well monitored implementation matrix.

“Your worship, it cannot be business as usual as far as service delivery is concerned,” read the summary of an investigation report authored by former ward 5 councillor Granger Nyoni.

It is said that after the committee recommendations, Siphuma failed to implement a single thing until he was sent on forced leave.

Other charges were that he illegally approved development of leased land where he put permanent structures and sold borehole water to residents.

The disciplinary panel comprised of officials drawn from different organisations, including sister local authorities of Beitbridge Rural District Council, Gwanda and Victoria Falls Municipality, and the Immigration and Education departments.