Gweru council top brass faces arrest
GWERU City Council’s top brass faces arrest by the Zimbabwe AntiCorruption Commission (Zacc) over a slew of graft cases, Southern Eye can reveal.
According to sources, a number of officials have already been taken to Bulawayo for questioning by Zacc detectives.
The anti-graft body is understood to be preparing dockets for the impending arrests.
Zacc spokesperson John Makamure yesterday confirmed that the commission was investigating cases of corruption at the local authority, but declined to shed more details.
“I cannot mention names, but I can confirm that we are investigating allegations of corruption at the Gweru City Council,” he said.
Sources yesterday revealed that Zacc’s dragnet would soon close in on the city’s estates and valuations manager, Gibson Chingwadza, who is likely to be charged for prejudicing the council of US$300 000 through shady property leases and sales.
Chingwadza is on suspension without salary and benefits and is facing 10 counts of misconduct that include leasing of towerlight stands to telecommunication companies without council approval, leasing out properties and pocketing rentals and disposal of commercial, industrial and institutional stands unprocedurally.
Other officials, mainly from the housing department, are also likely to be arrested for criminal abuse of office after they allocated multiple residential stands to themselves for a song.
Housing and community services director Shingirirayi Tigere got one stand in Randolph Phase 1 and another one in Senga suburb and this is deemed unprocedural.
Tigere is also accused of prejudicing council of US$37 000 through improper sale of pine trees belonging to the local authority.
His assistant, Unity Jaji, also got a stand in Randolph Phase 1 and another in Mkoba 21.
Another assistant director in the housing department, Manford Gambiza, was also allocated a stand in Mkoba 21 and another in Randolph Phase 1.
Housing officer Admire Chigayo also got a stand in Randolph Phase 1 and a second one in Mkoba 21.
Biggie Ngadze, a senior administration officer, was allocated a stand in Mkoba 21 and another in Randolph Phase 1.
Suspended town clerk Elizabeth Gwatipedza is also understood to be on the Zacc radar after investigations revealed that she was complicit in most of the scams at Gweru Town Council during her tenure.