The anti-corruption crusade at Chitungwiza Municipality which led to the arrest of town clerk Godfrey Tanyanyiwa last Thursday has claimed more scalps.
As of yesterday, the Anti-Corruption Commission had arrested the council’s director of housing Jemina Gumbo while two more officials had their contracts terminated and two others suspended for alleged corruption, amid indications more heads are set to roll.
Gumbo was arrested on Tuesday on allegations of corruption and was yesterday said to be in police custody. Others who have been caught in the web include chamber secretary Omega Mugumbate and director of health Mike Simoyi. Fungai Mbetsa, chairman of the “Chitungwiza resuscitation team” set up by Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo, made the disclosures at a stakeholders’ meeting in the town yesterday.
“The issue of truant managers is being dealt with and we have officers who opted to mutually terminate their relationship with the local authority and others have opted to resign. We also have two officers who have been suspended pending disciplinary hearing.
Two senior members have been arrested,” Mbetsa said. He said his team had also stumbled on shocking discoveries that senior managers awarded themselves a 132% salary increase last June without council approval while general workers were last paid in November.
Mbetsa said they had ordered the illegal salary increases to be reversed. The committee also ordered mayor Philemon Chipiyo and his deputy Rangarirai Mutingwende to return their facility vehicles for general council use.
