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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) will submit a response to Government by month-end following the emergence of corruption allegations at the local authority, a development that saw five councillors, including the Deputy Mayor councillor Gift Banda being suspended last month.
The Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing suspended the city fathers after an audit established that some councillors were grabbing land, while in some instances tender procedures were not being followed.
The suspended councillors are yet to appear before a tribunal over the corruption allegations. The city’s Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube said BCC is compelled to respond to Government following the corruption allegations.
Mr Dube said by month-end, council will have submitted the response. “By month-end I would have made my observations and would be able to respond to the report from the Ministry of Local Government,” said Mr Dube.
He said the country’s laws allow councils to respond to audit reports as a way of explaining the paths they took. He said some of the issues that the council will be responding to include the alleged land grabbing by councillors, flouting of tender procedures, among other irregularities cited in the report.
Mr Dube urged residents to be patient and wait for due processes to be conducted instead of making conclusions on matters that are still being investigated.
His remarks follow a recent decision by some Zanu-PF youths to stage a demonstration against Clr Banda.The town Clerk said he would only comment about the council’s administrative issues not the conduct of councillors as they were his employers — @nqotshili.
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