Vusumuzi Dube
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
THE Local Government Board (LGB) has approved the appointment of Mr Tennyson Mpunzi as the new financial services director for Bulawayo replacing Mr Kimpton Ndimande who retired in January.
The local authority began the search last year being mindful of Mr Ndimande’s retirement on 30 April this year.
According to a council report, following the completion of the interviewing process, three potential candidates were shortlisted and names forwarded to the Local Government Board for further scrutiny.
“It will be recalled that council on 4 January 2023 recommended three candidates for further scrutiny by the Local Government Board for the position of financial director. By letter dated 19 April, 2023, the Local Government Board has advised that its board meeting of 16 February 2023 resolved to approve the appointment of Mr Tennyson Mpunzi to the position of financial director for Bulawayo City Council.
The appointment is with effect from 1 May 2023 as the retiring director (Mr Kimpton Ndimande) left council service on 30 April 2023,” reads the report.
Mr Mpunzi’s appointment makes Bulawayo City Council (BCC) one of the few local authorities in the country with a full complement of top management officials amid concerns from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works that a number of senior positions in local authorities are occupied by people on acting capacity thereby jeopardising service delivery.
It also comes at a time when the city’s health services director, Dr Edwin Sibanda was recently reinstated following his suspension by the Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube over allegations of incompetence. He was partly accused of not dealing decisively with the environment issues leading to deteriorating standards in the city. He got away with a warning.
A special committee was set up to investigate Dr Sibanda’s conduct and find out if he was liable for the city’s deteriorating environmental state. However, the investigation got off to a chaotic start, as twice the local authority failed to convene the disciplinary procedure resulting in Dr Sibanda’s lawyers declaring that the director would be forced to resume his duties after the expiry of the 14-day suspension period.
It has since emerged that Dr Sibanda eventually got away with a warning after the disciplinary panel finally convened. His lawyer, Mr Dumisani Dube of Dube Legal Practice, confirmed the developments.
“Dr Sibanda is back at work, he was given a warning,” said Mr Dube.
Last month the Local Government Board also confirmed, Engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube as the city’s substantive director for engineering services. He had held the position in an acting capacity since the death of Engineer Simela Dube in 2021.
Online Reporter