Gokwe’s new town secretary Melania Mandeya has come under fire from residents who accuse the local authority of hiring her illegally.
BY XOLISANI NCUBE
Residents have since petitioned the government to fire her for allegedly abusing public funds.
Mandeya, a former Chegutu housing director was hired as the rural local authority’s boss last year replacing Loud Ramakgapola who joined another local authority.
But residents accuse Gwokwe Town Council of hiring Mandeya without following due process and against the recommendation of the Local Government Board (LGB). In a petition sent to various institutions, including the President Robert Mugabe’s office, the residents want Mandeya removed from her post immediately saying she did not qualify for the post.
“We, as Gokwe Combined Residents’ Association, are not happy on how our funds are handled. First and foremost, there is an issue of a Nissan NP300. This vehicle was bought for $23 000 three years ago, but up to now, the vehicle has not yet delivered,” the resident’s chairperson, Agnes Jumo, wrote in the petition.
The residents allege that when Douglas Marongwe was fired in 2012, the local authority invited for applications from suitable candidates to fill in the post. Ramakgapola got the job and assumed his duties in June before quitting in September 2014. Mandeya came fourth in the interviews.
“After Ramakgapola resigned, the council was supposed to readvertise the post or call the second candidate or the third (Shingirai Tigere or Victor Kondo), but instead, they did not do so. They handpicked the fourth candidate, which is wrong,” the residents state in the petition.
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“According to the Urban Councils Act, council can only appoint a person approved by the Local Government Board.”
A letter from the LGB on November 18 2014 indicates that Mandeya was not qualified to be the town secretary as her engagement by the local authority was illegal. “Kindly note that the board resolved to put the appointment of Ms M Mandeya on hold thus council should advise Ms Mandeya accordingly,” reads a letter from the LGB chairperson Pisirai Kwenda to Gokwe Town Council. Mandeya and Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo could not be reached for comment yesterday.
