×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

New Mutare town clerk exposes political colours

News
BY KENNETH NYANGANI NEWLY-APPOINTED Mutare town clerk, Joshua Maligwa has revealed that he is a Zanu PF supporter, vowing to change the face of the corruption-ridden local authority.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

NEWLY-APPOINTED Mutare town clerk, Joshua Maligwa has revealed that he is a Zanu PF supporter, vowing to change the face of the corruption-ridden local authority.

Speaking at an interface meeting with Mutare residents organised by Zanu PF Dangamvura/Chikanga constituency legislator, Esau Mupfumi, Maligwa claimed when he joined the city this year, he noticed that of council’s 1 500 workers, 700 of them supported the opposition.

“I want to change that at all costs because we can’t move with that kind of aituation,’’ he said.

“Sometime back, I joined Rusape Town Council, which was infiltrated by the opposition. I managed to change that and I left Rusape as one of the best-run councils because we were pushing in one direction.’’

Recently, Maligwa received rave views from Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene for working round the clock to wipe out corruption in the city.

Maligwa, who is the former Rusape town secretary, has been religiously attending Zanu PF rallies in Mutare.

The town clerk, however, promised the residents that his council would be offering contract workers jobs in the next few weeks.

Maligwa described the local municipal police as the most corrupt in the country, as he threatened to fire the entire department.

He said the municipal police were “robbers and crooks”, who were collecting money from vendors selling their commodities at undesignated places in the city, among a number of allegations.

“They are crooks and robbers. The entire 267 people in the municipal police, their hands are filthy with corruption, but maybe 67 can be redeemed,’’ he said.

“I am going to declare war on them. We held a meeting with their bosses and our chamber secretary (Cephas Vuta) and I am told the situation is now worse. In a few days’ time, we are going to call for another meeting with them (municipal police bosses) and I am going to call residents,’’ he said.

“We can simply fire them, but at the moment, we are looking at the implications of the Labour Act. Yes, I am aware they were not getting paid. But we are now paying them. I think corruption is now in their veins.”

The Mutare town clerk said council would introduce a new system of giving incentives to residents, who reported corruption.

“If you manage to do that, we will give you a job or we will slash your bills. We want to end corruption by all means,’’ he said Mupfumi weighed in, saying the entire municipal police should be simply transferred to other departments.

“It’s very unfortunate the municipal police were benefiting more than the council. We are happy that the new town clerk is working very hard to stop corruption,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Maligwa urged private land developers to emulate Obadiah Musindo’s Destiny for Afrika Network (DaNet) low-income housing scheme.

This came out during the question-and-answer session after residents complained that they were being duped by some private land developers, who were failing to complete projects.

Maligwa said he was worried at the city’s engineering department, which was offering partial certificates of completion to private land developers despite the latter doing nothing.

“It should be 50-50. Take, for example, Destiny for Afrika Network, which is doing extremely well,” he said.

DaNet Manicaland chairman, Wilson Masokowere told NewsDay Weekender that they put God ahead in all their projects.

Musindo, however, said all his housing projects beneficiaries should vote for Zanu PF in next year’s elections.

“Mupfumi is tirelessly working for the party and we are seeing success stories in the constituency. Roads are being tarred.

It’s great he is putting the party first ahead of him. He is not selfish. We are all working for the party,’’ he said.