By A Correspondent| The recently appointed Provincial Development Co-ordinanator, Tafadzwa Muguti, has threatened Chitungwiza Mayor Lovemore Maiko with stern action if he fails to meet the 72-hour ultimatum to reverse an “offensive” council resolution.
The resolution, passed on December 3, appointed Engineer D Duma as the Acting Town Cleck, replacing one Mrs E Machona.
Failure to effect a reversal of the appointment, according to Muguti, would see councillors Peter Clever Matiringe, Chengetai Nyagondo, Richard Chamisa and Tonderai Chiwanza arrested and arraigned before the courts.
The charges, under which the dismissals would be premised, are not clear except that the allegations against Councillor Maringe have to do with chairing a meeting that approved the offending resolution.
It is further alleged that Councillor Matiringe refused to read a letter that was directed to the Town Cleck, saying it would be read under the Town Cleck’s desk.
This publication also understands that the said councillor sat on the mayoral chair without following the Urban Councils Act which requires that councillors choose a representative to chair a meeting in the event that both the mayor and his deputy are absent.
This, however, was not the case.
According to the Urban Councils Act, section 104 (3)(4), all due process was not followed.
Councillor Matiringe is now facing a litany of charges, including that of drafting a letter advising the PDC of the developments which took place on December 3 and another in which he is said to have written to Mrs Machona seeking to know why she had issued a Press statement purporting to be the Acting Town Clerk.
The other charges, however, are not clear.
Meanwhile, councillors Nyagondo and Chiwanza are said to have violated their bail conditions while Councillor Chamutsa’s “crime” is that of seconding Councillor Nyagondo’s proposal.
These councillors have been threatened with suspension should they fail to ensure that the 72-hour ultimatum is meet.
One of the conditions under which the ultimatum is premised includes the
reversal of a resolution made on December 3 to reinstate Mrs Machona.
The other resolution includes the listing of all illegal sites for demolition, including the setting up of a special committee by councillors to investigate those councillors alleged to be working in cahoots with some land barons.
The councillors being charged have also been asked to Identify the staffers who are leaking information to outsiders, including that they should work towards clearing the PDC’s name from mudslinging.
The ultimatum should be responded to by December 18, failure of which would lead to the four councillors facing the music.
What is confusing, though, is that in the past five months, teams from the municipality, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and Local Government ministry have been probing without success the Chitungwiza Municipality on issues of corruption.