THE Bulawayo chapter of the Affirmative Action Group (AAG) has aborted its campaign for the suspension of top council officials and councillors on graft allegations.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Latest council minutes show that the AAG has since withdrawn the court challenge after council “successfully challenged” attempts to dissolve it.
Part of the minutes read: “The acting town clerk (Sikhangele Zhou) recalled (July 27, 2016) that AAG had taken council to court sometime last year seeking an order for dissolution of council.
“The matter had been successfully defended and they had since filed a notice of withdrawal and tendered council’s wasted costs. The issue of wasted costs would be pursued until they were paid.”
Bulawayo mayor, Martin Moyo and his deputy Gift Banda have dismissed charges of corruption, abuse of office and maladministration, arguing the allegations were just a sideshow to distract the MDC-T-led council from attending to its core business.
In an interview yesterday, Moyo said: “I think, for us, it is a good thing that this is now out of the way. The allegations tended to affect our work, dent our credibility and image and impede decision making.”
The AAG, in August last year, filed a High Court application seeking the dissolution of the entire council’s top brass on allegations of corruption, abuse of office and maladministration. The move comes as Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere had dispatched a commission of inquiry to investigate alleged financial mismanagement at Bulawayo City Council.
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The commission has not yet released its findings, although Local Government permanent secretary, George Mlilo recently indicated that team had picked up some irregularities on finances, tender processes and procurement matters.
