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Resign en-masse, Chimene orders council officials

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MANICALAND Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene has recommended the dismissal of Mutare City Council’s entire management team over alleged corruption.

MANICALAND Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene has recommended the dismissal of Mutare City Council’s entire management team over alleged corruption.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI/ CLAYTON MASEKESA

Addressing councillors and council management yesterday shortly after Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere had presented a report on investigations carried out at the local authority by officials from his ministry, Chimene said the findings of the probe team had confirmed her suspicions.

“People must resign first before they are fired. Corruption is rampant here and it seems corruption has become the official thing at this council,” Chimene said.

“Now I am happy that the report has come out and everything that I wanted has come out in that report. We need a total revamp and this report will help us.”

Mandi Chimene
Mandi Chimene

Chimene claimed several council employees had approached her asking for school fees for their children as they were owed large sums of money in unpaid salaries.

Speaking at the same occasion, Kasukuwere urged the councillors to read the report and recommend the way forward. “I, therefore, want to urge the councillors to go through the report and make their decisions and recommendation, then I will make mine,” he said.

Kasukuwere said the report had exposed rampant corruption in the allocation of stands and handling of cash.

He said in some instances, council managers awarded themselves subsidised loans equivalent to nine months’ salaries and went on council-subsidised foreign trips and holidays. The council’s top brass was also accused of enrolling their children at expensive schools and universities with the local authority footing the bills.

“The operations of this council are unsustainable. If this is allowed to go on, the city will be in serious trouble. The council is in serious financial difficulties. You have not been paying council employees for too long and you should ask yourselves why they are coming to work? Have the workers found something hidden that is giving them some income?” Kasukuwere queried.

“You have to pull this council from the brink of disaster. The city is in dire straits and we are not going to look aside and watch it decaying. This document makes sad reading. If we were in an examination, I would give this city a fail. You have failed.”

Mutare mayor Tatenda Nhamarare promised to go through the report and collectively forward their own recommendations to Kasukuwere.