By Concerned Citizen

THE GRAFT ROT RUNS UNPRECEDENTEDLY DEEPER IN PRESIDENT’, AND MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT’S’ HOME CITY COUNCIL OF KWEKWE, INSIDERS ALLEGE’.

June 26, 2021. Kwekwe.

Information doing serious rounds in and around the communities of Kwekwe, and within the corridors of Kwekwe Civic Centre, and other institutions are that of long standing serious corruption practices by Council bureaucracy, headed by Acting Town Clerk (ATC) Lucia Mkadhla, and through a network of other beneficiaries within the local public sector, private sector, professionals, some local politicians, and through local party factions. The later, allegedly being used by the corrupt management as a ‘buffer’ in the even that things come to head.

Areas allegedly used as conduits includes, tender/procurement, commercial and low density land/stands, Human Resource and grading system, Acting allowances and educational allowances for non existing school children, and many others.

This is said to be seriously compounded by serious incompetency on the part of the ATC who resorts to ‘farm type intimidating bossboy management approach’. Hence seriously exposing management incompetencies since positioned as ATC.

It is further alleged that this intimidatory, and systematic ‘grand graft oily approach’ has been keeping the rot under lid, as none among the HODs and employees would dare raise a finger.
On the other hand, taking advantage of the entirely new crop of opposition councillors who are kept suffocated of critical council information.

However, the wider and open talk around the alleged serious corruption and poor management of the city came as a result of the resolution by the full council meeting on 21 May 2021, to ‘commission forensic audit’ on the Central Administration Department.
This department houses : low density housing stands: Commercial land: industrial land: Human Resource department: Security section: and Fire Brigade, among others. And these Falls directly under the Acting Town Clerk, (ATC) Mrs Lucia Mkadhla’s command.

Insiders, and locals say that the levels of corruption are of long standing, but were closely guarded as it involves senior council bureaucratic: local politicians: security sector and local professional people. The council management is also allegedly fronting their relatives: friends and workers of their privately owned companies that are registered in relatives etc names. Further allegations are that even local Scribers and local Anti Graft advocators, are alleged to have benefited unprocedurally in land scandals as a way of being silenced’.

And indeed, unlike them in the past, the local scribers have ‘gone to sleep’ in the wake of the glaring scandals, and the obtaining bush management style of this public entity.

Kwekwe City Council has been without a substantive Town Clerk (TC,) since December 2018 when the then incumbent and long serving TC, Ngwena Musara reached retirement age. Thus the then newly voted in 13 MDCA councilors and 1 ZANU PF team appointed Chamber Secretary Lucia Mkandla as Acting Town Clerk (ATC) in January 2019.

That the Rot is unprecedentedly of shocking levels of corruption, spanning over length periods of time, but lately worsened by a combination of serious graft and poor/incompetent corporate management under the charge of Acting Town Clerk.

The Unprecedented deep corruption allegations: unprecedented poor corporate governance, run deep veins within the City of Kwekwe, and said to also have influenced its dormitory town of Redcliff, to follow suit’ well placed insiders revealed’ !

And to think that these are ‘Home towns to both the President, and the Minister responsible for municipalities?, and the minister for state security?

All along, Kwekwe has been tauted as ‘clean of corruption when compared with other cities’. This having been advanced by the same current management and the successive management. Kind of ‘self serving protective mantra’.

It is revealed that the rot has been closely guarded politically, as the corruption practice involves heavy weights management and local politicians.

Thus, over the years, People and officials had been talking in lower tones. Things came to strong talking following the ‘Bold decision taken by the City mothers and fathers at that special full council meeting held on May 21 this year, when they resolved to institutes forensic audit for the city’s central administration department. It is said the this department is the nucleus of the deep rot.

Kwekwe Council have had interviews for TC in the past, to replace Mr Musara. Mrs Mkandhla, the City’s Chamber Secretary, was also in the race but came a distant fourth. Although she is said to hold a PHD, ‘the later also shrouded in the way it is said to have been defended’ she is reportedly without a ‘first degree’, a crucial requirement for the post of TC. Her elevation to Chamber Secretary through interview some years ago was also controversial as regard qualifications. This latter post is usually for those with legal qualifications.

The results of the interview done in 2019 were not implemented, reportedly because the ministry did not have the Local Government Board in place until recently when the minister appointed the ‘Mr Chakaipa headed LG Board’.

At some stage, the councilors had recommended for appointment of Mrs Mkandhla as substantive TC, citing the length period it was taking without LGB.

However, the insiders alleges that the long period of acting have unfortunately exposed the weaknesses of the ATC regarding managerial competence, as well as the alleged serious corruption activities within the council administration and management.

Areas reported of the corruption activities includes, but not limited to:

Commercial and Residential land allocations, fronting friends and relatives; companies own indirectly fronted through relatives and friends; and business and professional acquaintances.

The lack of procedural land allocations, also includes favouring influential individuals, politicians, professionals, individuals, local scribers etc, Allegedly for purposes of ‘silencing and or protection’ in the event that ‘things come to head’.

Issues of grading system: educational allowances: etc are said to be another route of abusing council coffers.

It is reported that following the May 2021 Councilors resolution for forensic audit, the civic centre corridors became ‘awash’ with fearful anxiety amongst the bureaucracy. Kwekwe council had never been subjected to such audit ‘time memorially’. To subject it to this exercise will mean opening serious shocking skeletons!

Because of that, it is alleged that the ATC and management are running around trying all sorts of strategies to circumvent the consequences: such as trying to politicise this noble move by the councilors: trying to mislead the ministry of LG and the Office of President and Cabinet of the intention by the councilors, and faking allegations of victimization of ATC by opposition councilors. The ATC ran around misleading the local ZANU PF individual office holders, and a local party faction hoping for protection. To the extent of sending emissaries to the ministry, and minister of LG trying yo give wrong assumption as to why the forensic audit will be undertaken. These management guys are in total panic, and confusion. Kuvhunduka chati pwatara hunge uine chawaka turika, so said the Shonas!

Other insiders alleges that the ATC and management were even contemplating buying the auditors when they come for the forensic audit. However, the minister is said to plan to send government auditors for this exercise. Yet those in council think that the latter may work in the corner of the ATC and team. For in the past, in 2020 to early 2021 to be precise, the Minister instituted and send a team around the country to carryout state urban land Audit under all urban councils. When this team came to Kwekwe, it (the team) was harassed by ATC and subjected to meetings with officers from the local OPC, some form of proactive indirect tactical intimidation. The outcome of this audit could have been influenced, and was never known to council and councilors. Only to be reported verbally by management that all was well. Hence the wary that similar tactics could be in the offing for the auditors that the minister would assign for the forensic audit.

Lately, council management is suspected to have tried to divide the councilors by through use of money, give favours, and management aligning with party factions, all in a bid for political protection over issues of alleged serious corruption.

However, the news of this forensic audit resolution seems to have been received by the ‘stakeholders: ratepayers; local business; the community, with great interest, and hope for sanity against corruption and for better council management.

They say that the rot has become a cancer and of high concern. This coupled with the ‘Mafia/farm bossboy type of management’ by the ATC was destroying the municipal viability.

People hope that the attempt to politicise the issue to try sympathy luck would not succeed given the ‘stance of the new dispensation and President ED Mnangagwa stance against corruption. Also that this exercise should help to either clean, or clear the city of graft practice, as this dent the President, and Minister of LG and Devolution, who are both from Kwekwe. People hope that the President would stand by his pronounced vision not to spare the rod on anyone involved, regardless of their positions.

Meanwhile, people of Kwekwe were shocked when in mid June this year, the Ward 6 Councillor, McLean Nyamucherera (ZANU PF), who is said to be aligned to the Dhala faction in the race for MP for the ruling party, went around town organising and collected ‘thousands of US$’ from people allegedly for allocations of ‘flea markets stalls’. In doing so, the councilor was helped by a daughter of the incumbent Deputy Mayor among other persons, a sister to the aspiring opposition MP candidate. It is alleged that more than 300 people were made to pay about US$20 each, and the councilor went on to pay only about US$3000 to council and was issued with a receipt.

Later on however, this episodic brought scenes at the council meeting when the ATC presented the receipt with intention to have the move endorsed by councilors.

The councilors were ‘hot with the issue’, citing that it was not only an abuse of office by the involved councilor, but a serious criminal act. They further questioned as to why the council management would want to cordon such an act, that is unless if the management was behind such a move.

Otherwise how do you have a policymaker doing such a thing and management accept the money. Some members of community suspected that this unprecedented move could be linked to management attempting to ‘pacify some party factions through councilors’ hoping for sympathetic against alleged serious graft in council. Otherwise where in the Urban Councils Act is such a role defined! It boggles any sane mind!

It is therefore left to be seen whether the authorities would enable transparency and justice taking course for the good credibility of the New Dispensation and for the city and its ratepayers.