Harare council director suspended
HARARE City Council director of works Engineer Zvenyika Chawatama has now been formally suspended with full benefits over allegations of masquerading as the acting Town Clerk on several occasions.
His suspension is with effect from March 31 and Eng Chawatama has been barred from accessing council premises to allow for internal investigations into the disciplinary charges.
Acting town Clerk Mr Bozman Matengarufu wrote to Eng Chawatama informing him of the suspension.
“You are hereby suspended with pay and benefits effective 31 March 2021 following allegations that you masqueraded as the acting Town Clerk on various occasions,” he said. “Your suspension is meant to facilitate internal investigations into serious allegations on various occasions and during the period starting 14 December 2020 to a date yet to be confirmed.”
Mr Matengarufu said Eng Chawatama engaged himself in activities of the office of the Town Clerk which had far reaching effects on the operations of council.
“On 13 January 2021, purporting to act as the Town Clerk, you wrote a letter to Mr S Mungofa confirming his appointment as the acting human capital director and on 14 January 2021, purporting to act as the Town Clerk, you wrote a letter copied to all directors directing that employees under investigation and out on bail be barred from attending work.
“On 15 January 2021, you wrote a letter to Mr Bozman Matengarufu reversing his appointment as acting human capital director and on 18 January 2021, you wrote a letter to all heads of departments on restructuring of council operations pending council approval of the Organisational Strategic Plan (2021-2025),” he said.
Mr Matengarufu said the outlined allegations were a sample of the activities that Eng Chwatama illegally engaged in but a full list of activities he conducted was endless and could only be established at the conclusion of investigations.
He said some of the activities Eng Chawatama carried out purportedly as acting Town Clerk were done while the substantive Town Clerk Engineer Hosea Chisango had been lawfully recalled from leave and was firmly executing his duties in his substantive capacity.
“Your suspension is therefore necessary for the conducting of internal investigations that are free to undue influence or interference by yourself given the seniority of your substantive position of director of works and the nature of the allegations that you are facing.”