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Post Correspondent
TWO Chipinge Town Council employees were on Wednesday served with suspension letters after a surprise visit by Local Government and Public Works Deputy Minister, Honourable Marian Chombo, who came face-to-face with lethargic discharge of duties by the staffers.
Simbi Chidau, who works at the revenue collection desk, was allegedly caught illegally transacting in foreign currency, while another employee Lizzie Zimunya from the Information and Technology Department stands accused of poor customer care.
In a letter which this paper has in possession written by Acting Town Secretary, Mr James Mutemera, and copied to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, it stated the two were suspended pending a disciplinary hearing.
Reads the letter: “The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Hon Marian Chombo made a surprise visit to Chipinge Town Council offices on November 2. On this day, the Acting Town Secretary, and other supporting staff were on a budget consultative meeting in Ward Eight.
“The Deputy Minister suspected that our revenue staffer, Mr Simbi Chidau was involved in illegal forex transaction with residents paying rates. She also visited the IT Department, and realised the poor customer care delivery in that section.”
Witnesses interviewed by The Manica Post said Deputy Minister Chombo visited the council premises pretending to be a ratepayer.
“On this day in question, the Deputy Minister joined the queue like any ordinary resident intending to pay rates. She patiently waited in the queue, and saw some council officers illegally transacting in foreign currency.
“They would take residents’ foreign currency and use their own swipe cards to pay for the bills. Deputy Minister Chombo later proceeded to the IT Department, but the lady in the section could not attend to her as she was busy on her phone.
“This did not go down well with the Deputy Minister who took up the issue with local authority management. She also complained about the state of the town building,” said the witness who declined to be named.
Chipinge Town Council chairperson, Councillor Lovemore Mkwapati, professed ignorance over the issue when contacted for a comment.
“I will get in touch with you later. Currently we are busy doing budget consultative meetings in the wards,” he said.
Online Reporter