(ZIMBABWE GUARDIAN) Mutare MDC-T City Fathers probed for corruption

Mutare MDC-T City Fathers probed for corruption
By: MP-TZG
Posted: Monday, March 22, 2010 3:56 pm

AN MDC-T team was at Mutare City Council last week to probe allegations of corruption levelled against some councillors, amid news that five of the councils run by that party face collapse.

The head of the probe team and MDC-T's deputy secretary-general, Mr Tapiwa Mashakada, said Wednesday that the team was in the city for two days to audit the performance of the council and the party's councillors.

The MDC-T recently set-up a 13-member probe team to look into corruption allegations being levelled against some of its officials, especially councillors.

Chitungwiza, Redcliff, Chegutu and Mutare Councils have been reported to be rife with corruption, with MDC-T councillors grabbing stands and houses that are meant for homeless residents.

Harare and Bulawayo City Councils are also reported to be grossly mismanaged.

"We are in Mutare to carry out a performance audit regarding service delivery and good corporate governance of the local authority.

"We are a responsible party and it is a matter of policy and duty to see that our councillors are doing what they were mandated to do by the electorate.

"We are not witch-hunting and at this stage, it is too early to comment on any corruption allegations being levelled against our councillors, but our audit will come up with the actual position of what is happening on the ground," he said.

When pressed further to comment on what the media has so far gathered as some of the corruption allegations being levelled against the Mutare city fathers, Mr Mashakada said: "The media's role is to report on what they hear on the ground. We can't blame the media for getting information ahead of us, but I will make a conclusive comment after the audit."

Investigations revealed that nine of the councillors have since been allocated stands in the low-density areas.

Instead of developing the stands, it is alleged that some of the councillors are swapping the stands for vehicles.

Some of the councilors, who were elected with virtually nothing, are now living a lavish life and driving state-of-the art vehicles, among them a BMW, Volvo and a Ford truck.

Although the Mutare mayor, Councillor Brian James, was not readily available for a comment, the Town Clerk, Mr Obert Muzawazi, confirmed that some of the councillors had since been allocated stands.

"Councillors are allocated stands in their capacity as City Fathers. So far, nine of them have already been allocated stands and we are not in a position to tell what happened to the stands. Whether they developed the stands, we don't know, but all the councillors who were allocated the stands have since paid 40 percent of the actual value of the stand," said Mr Muzawazi.

Investigations also revealed that the councillors were owing the local authority $24 644, which they were getting from the city's treasury department after presenting various excuses as reasons for borrowing the money.

The money owed ranged from $5 to $1 548.

Mr Muzawazi expressed ignorance on the money the councillors owed the local authority.

"I have heard the rumours, but people should know that we are not a bank. What I know is that some councillors who would have encountered problems are assisted with money, but this does not mean we are lending them money," said Mr Muzawazi.

Meanwhile, battle lines have been drawn between the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Dr Ignatius Chombo and Clr James over the latter's defiance of ministerial directive.

Dr Chombo has since written to Clr James over the issue of his defiance.

In a letter dated March 3, 2010, addressed to the mayor of Mutare, Dr Chombo wrote: "I have noted with concern your unrelenting proclivity towards defiance of legitimately issued ministerial directives.

"Instead of complying with such directives, you seem to avidly want to cause interrogation of my instructions premised on the Urban Councils Act; and in the process you seem to be overzealous to usurp the powers conferred on me by a subsisting Act of Parliament.

"Remember for avoidance of doubt, that Section 313 as read with Section 314 of the Urban Councils Act Chapter 19:15 empowers me as Minister to (a) give direction on matters of policy and (b) of reverse, suspend, rescind resolutions, decisions etc of councils. In spite of the said provisions, you appear to doubt the wisdom of the legislature in providing this legal framework, which is designed to protect the interests of the public and of the inhabitants of the council area."

Last year, Dr Chombo ordered the reinstatement of Clr Admire Mukorera as the deputy mayor.

Clr Mukorera was suspended by MDC-T for allegedly stealing food meant for mourners during the funeral of Mrs Susan Tsvangirai in March last year.

However, the local authority has remained adamant in reinstating Clr Mukorera.

Commenting on the issue, Dr Chombo, said: "Mutare City Council unlawfully removed Clr Mukorera from the office of deputy mayor on grounds which are manifestly unrelated to the management of the affairs of council.

“In any event, the powers to remove the deputy mayor from office are reposed in the Minister, who should exercise such powers after satisfying himself that any acts of commission or omission on the part of the deputy mayor translate into mismanagement of affairs and or finances of council," he said.