Bindura mayor fired

property.
This comes after a board of inquiry constituted by Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Cho-mbo to probe him on allegations of abuse of office recommended his dismissal.

Board chairman Mr Elijah Makomo presented his recommendations to Minister Chombo last week. He recommended that Clr Madamombe be dismissed because his transgressions did not make him suitable to continue in public office.

“The disciplinary committee recommends that the Minister should dismiss Clr Tinashe Malvin Madamombe as councillor and mayor of Bindura Municipality for gross mismanagement of council funds and being dishonest in connection with council property.

“These charges are of a serious nature and make him unsuitable to continue as councillor and mayor,” he said.
Minister Chombo acceded to the recommendations and dismissed Clr Madamombe.

Clr Madamombe was served with a letter of dismissal last week but his lawyers are contemplating appealing. Mr Mokomo recommended that Government should direct Bindura Municipality to repossess all stands held by councillors in violation of a ministerial order. He said efforts should be made to ensure that substantive heads man all municipal departments.

Bindura does not have a substantive town clerk, director of finance, director of administration, director of engineering services and director of housing and community services.
“The board noted that the management system at Bindura Municipality is characterised by intrusions by the non-executive council. There is no decision that the town clerk would do without the approval of the mayor, especially if it is related to expenditure.

“As a result of this the mayor seemed to have assumed executive powers,” he said.
He said the current unwritten practice that the mayor signs all expenditure vouchers before money can be withdrawn is an executive function, which should be discarded.

“The mayor’s functions should be restricted to ensuring that sound policies are formulated and supervising their implementation without necessarily getting involved in the implementation himself,” he said.
Clr Madamombe was also accused of withdrawing US$173 731.36 from the estate account meant for capital projects to pay workers salaries and bonuses.

For the past two years council has been using a generator for its offices because the local authority is failing to pay its electricity bills. Minister Chombo and his deputy Sessel Zvidzai have previously clashed over Clr Madamombe. When Minister Chombo suspended Clr Madamombe, Deputy Minister Zvidzai instructed him to ignore the suspension and report for duty.