admin
Freeman Razemba Senior Reporter
Government has set up a commission to run the affairs of Chegutu Town Council following reports of rampant corruption and maladministration.
The five-member commission, which will be headed by Mr Morgen Hungwe, was appointed by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo.
The town council was made up of eight MDC-T and four zanu-pf councillors and top management.
There have been allegations of corruption levelled against the MDC-T-led council which residents wanted dismissed for failure to deliver.
Some residents had stopped paying bills, while the local authority was said to be incompetent with top management conniving with the councillors to loot council resources.
Residents were also concerned about a traffic light which was said to have cost US$50 000 when a similar structure in Chinhoyi was pegged at US$7 000.
Mashonaland West provincial administrator, Mr Christopher Shumba confirmed in an interview yesterday that the commission had been set up.
“The commission has been set up and it’s being headed by Mr Hungwe. For finer details you can contact him,” he said.
Mr Hungwe referred all questions to Dr Chombo and the permanent secretary in his ministry, Engineer George Mlilo.
Chegutu West legislator Cde Dexter Nduna yesterday said the commission was appointed following complaints he had made about the top management and councillors who were corrupt and incompetent.
“The setting up of the commission is a welcome move which we hope can help in the turnaround of Chegutu,” he said.
“This was instigated by my calls as they are failing to even provide water and street lighting, among other expected service deliverables.”
Cde Nduna said some of the suburbs in the town had gone for more than 12 years without water.
“We had a cholera outbreak in 2008 and we don’t want such a scenario again.
“As a result of the outbreak, we had Doctors Without Borders coming and some NGOs drilling boreholes as a primary source of water,” Cde Nduna said.
“The town council should have addressed all these, especially the lack of sewer and water reticulation system in the town, but they are busy enriching themselves through corrupt means.”
Cde Nduna expressed concern about top management and councillors who were allegedly repossessing houses and stands for resale.
He said during the 2013 election campaigns, people were promised about 3 500 stands, but the town council later overturned the decision, saying it was a “political gimmick”.
In August this year, Mr Shumba said Dr Chombo was set to dispatch a probe team to investigate allegations of graft and maladministration at Chegutu Municipality.
Online Reporter