Suspended councillors nail management
SUSPENDED Chitungwiza councillors have criticised council management for clandestinely making costly decisions that have put their jobs in jeopardy, it has emerged.
This was said by two suspended councillors who appeared before an independent tribunal at Chitungwiza Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday for a disciplinary hearing.
Councillors Tichaona Muchakwa and Francis Marambakutongwa are facing charges of illegally acquiring stands, unlawful use of estate account funds to pay workers’ salaries, wasteful expenditure and unilaterally increasing their allowances.
The pair appeared before the tribunal led by chairperson Ms Virginia Mudimu.
Other members of tribunal are Ms Angelina Karonga and Mr Luckson Muzondiwa.
The councillors denied the charges, noting that they did not pay application fees for the stands they acquired since it was a standing provision of the municipality that they should not pay.
“There is a rule at council that when one applies for a residential stand, they do not pay a fee,” the councillors said during cross examination by the tribunal’s secretary, Mr Muchinu, who was leading proceedings.
“You pay for a lodger’s card, land sales and survey costs.”
Mr Muchinu further alleged that in 2016, acting in common purpose with fellow councillors, the two authorised the use of the Estate Account to pay council employees’ salaries.
The councillors apportioned the blame on suspended town clerk Dr George Makunde, whom they accused of instigating the move.
“Dr Makunde is the one who advised councillors that Minister Kasukuwere (Saviour) had ordered management to do so,” said Clr Marambakutongwa.
“He further told us that he had been allowed by the minister to borrow the money.”
Clr Muchakwa added: “If you check on the minutes we submitted, you will find out that councillors were making a follow-up to find out if that is what had happened concerning the money.
“We were surprised during our meeting when the town clerk was advising us that he was told by the minister that we had used the Estate Account funds without his approval. Dr Makunde told us that he was going to write a recognition letter to that effect.”
Though the councillors were accused of convening a workshop in Kadoma without authorisation, they indicated that they only participated as invitees after they were advised by Chitungwiza’s management of the meeting.
Suspended mayor Clr Phillip Mutoti is expected to appear before the tribunal today.