Acting Chitungwiza town clerk to stay in post

THE resolution by a gang of MDC-A Chitungwiza councillors to remove acting town clerk Mrs Evangelista Machona after she exposed corruption syndicates and reversed fraudulent offer letters has been overturned by Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo.

The illegal council meeting held early this month was called by a group of MDC-A councillors who are accused of corruptly selling residential stands using backdated offer letters.

Mrs Machona had rescinded more than 2 000 offer letters dating back to last year and blocked the issuing of leases, much to the chagrin of the gang of councillors who then plotted to replace her with Engineer David Duma

The councillors wanted Eng Duma as acting town clerk despite the fact that he is on remand and there being a bail condition that prohibits him from being at council offices.

Last year Minister Moyo also gave a directive for Eng Duma and the housing director Hazel Sithole to be suspended from office until they are cleared by police.

Now, Minister July Moyo has written another letter dated December 17, 2020 stopping the dubious move by the MDC-A councillors.

The decision to rescind the councillors’ move is in line with the Urban Councils Act.

According to the Act, where the Minister is of the view that any resolution, decision or action of a council is not in the best interest of the inhabitants for the council area concerned or is not in the national or public interest, he may direct the council to reverse, suspend or rescind such resolution.

The alleged scam that Mrs Machona blocked was the sale of stands last year, or this year with backdated offer letters, for US dollars with the organising councillors then paying the council in local currency at roughly 1-1 and pocketing the huge difference generated by new exchange rates.

Zanu PF Chitungwiza councillors completely distanced themselves from the smuggled resolution during the meeting that was chaired by Cllr Peter Matiringe.

The Zanu PF Ward 13 Cllr Kiven Mutimbanyoka said the MDC councillors sneaked in an agenda item to replace Mrs Machona whom Minister Moyo tasked to be part of the investigative team set up to look into the misappropriation of land in the town.

Cllr Mutimbanyoka said, despite the Zanu PF group giving the MDC councillors sound advice during the meeting they defiantly resolved to replace Mrs Machona with Engineer Duma.

Meanwhile, in another letter Minister Moyo encouraged Chitungwiza Municipality officials to cooperate with Harare Provincial Development Coordinator Mr Tafadzwa Muguti.