CHINHOYI — Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo has suspended eight more MDC-T councillors in Chinhoyi, Karoi and Kariba for alleged “indecent behaviour”. OWN CORRESPONDENT
This brings to nine the total number of City Fathers the minister has suspended in Mashonaland West province in one week. Last week Chombo suspended Chinhoyi’s Tendai Musonza (Ward 11).
MDC-T Mashonaland West chairman Japhet Karemba confirmed the development yesterday.
“Yes, I got a blanket statement stating that nine councillors in Chinhoyi, Karoi and Kariba had been suspended. I don’t have names as yet, but I have instructed them to go to Harare where we are scheduled to meet Local Government deputy minister (Sesil Zvidzai) today (yesterday),” said Karemba.
Former Chinhoyi acting mayor Busani Dube-Marumahoko (Ward 12), who had hinted he would resign, and Simeon Gotami (Ward 5) were suspended over alleged involvement in a stands scam that is currently before the courts.
In Karoi, finance committee chairperson David Mutambirwa (Ward 2) and Jackson Mbonga (Ward 6) have reportedly been suspended over alleged rowdy behaviour and corruption respectively, while four other unidentified policymakers in Kariba have been placed on indefinite suspension.
Mbonga is currently serving a six-month jail term after he was convicted of defrauding a prospective buyer of $300 after promising to facilitate a residential stand.
Mutambirwa courted Chombo’s ire after he allegedly disrupted a finance committee meeting held on December 19 last year chaired by his deputy Nicholas Chigwende.
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He reportedly stormed the room before lying on top of a table accusing fellow committee members of convening the meeting behind his back.
On another charge, sources said, Mutambirwa violated the council code of conduct when he addressed an unsanctioned workers’ gathering. Mutambirwa has also allegedly, on numerous occasions, clashed with senior council officials over his “confrontational approach”.
