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RUSAPE Town secretary, Mr Joshua Maligwa and council chairperson, Alderman Amon Chawasarira are at the centre of foreign travel and subsistence (T and S) scandal, amid revelations that two allegedly demanded to be paid $1 300 each as top up for a three-day conference they attended in South Africa in November 2015. The two were part of the delegation that accompanied Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere to the African Cities Summit held in Johannesburg.
The thorny issue was exposed at a full council meeting held last Thursday following a motion raised by Ward 10 councillor, Councillor Chabanzura Goto and seconded by Ward Two councillor, Clr Clever Chimuse who chairs the finance committee soon after the acting Town Secretary, Mr Solomon Gabaza, had finished reading the notice of agenda.
Ald Chawasarira who chairs the full council tried to brush aside the issue without allowing it to be debated, but was thwarted by Ward Five councillor and audit committee chairperson, Clr Lyton Sithole.
Mr Maligwa was away on council business in Bulawayo and repeated efforts to contact him were in vain at the time of going to Press.
Initially, each was given $1 700, but on return the two argued that the money was ‘too little as accommodation was expensive such that they were forced to squat and took turns to smuggle each other in hotel rooms’.
It is alleged that they used their influence to push for a resolution during a special full council meeting in January that in future council officials should be given close to $1 000 per day for foreign trips.
It is further alleged that the two used the same resolution to demand an additional $1 300 each from the finance department despite being fully aware that unless clearly stated a resolution does not apply in retrospect.
The two were duly advised against such a move, but demanded that they be paid and were indeed paid, meaning the two pocketed $3 000 each for the three-day event.
This raised the ire of other councillors who accused Mr Maligwa and Ald Chawasarira of conniving to “defraud the local authority”.
“We are starving here, yet muri kubura kaviri kaviri. How do you explain this nhai chairman,” charged Ward Six councillor, Clr Josephine Matope.
Clr Sithole demanded that the two should return the money.
Other councillors also argued the Ald Chawasarira and Mr Maligwa’s conduct amounts to criminal abuse of office and a comprehensive report must be compiled and handed over to the parent ministry.
Clr Sithole proposed and Ward 1One councillor, Clr Patrick Chipere seconded the motion.
Ald Chawasarira tried in vain to defend his actions and only conceded defeat after other councillors stood their ground.
The two were not given a timeframe to return the money.
Rusape Residents Trust chairperson, Mr Martin Chaburumunda, accused the pair of forging an unholy alliance to loot council coffers.
“When you have a council chairperson whose mandate should be to superintend and ensure accountability and transparency in the allocation and use of public resources reducing himself to become an appendage of his subordinate, then one should begin to wonder because such a combination is not only unholy, but detrimental to the facets of good corporate governance.
“The two must be investigated as this could be only a tip of the iceberg. We are smelling corruption because money from council coffers can only be withdrawn through a resolution. Which resolution or powers did they use to take the money?
“That is corruption,and they are doing this at a time residents are drinking contaminated water,” said Mr Chaburumunda.
Online Reporter