Deputy Mayor attacked

Post Reporter
CHAOS broke out at the Civic Centre in Mutare on Wednesday afternoon when Deputy Mayor Councillor Collins Mukwada was manhandled by a group of disgruntled women who demanded $600 from the City Father they claimed to have given him as kickback to facilitate a church stand deal.

The women confronted the Ward 15 councillor as he was about to get into a full council meeting in the chambers.

Business was brought to a halt as the women vowed not to leave without being given their money.

The scene turned uglier after residents who were sitting in the gallery joined the melee which was unfolding in the mayor’s parlour corridor.

Clr Mukwada was only saved by municipal police officers who came to quell the violence. It took more than 10 minutes for the council police officers to subdue the marauding women.

When asked if he knew anything about the bribery allegations being levelled against him by the women, the councillor seemed surprised and said it was the work of his enemies.

“They want to tarnish my image,” he said.

The women insisted that they gave the City Father the money way back after he allegedly promised them to facilitate a church stand in Dangamvura.

As the chaos subsided Clr Mukwada joined fellow colleagues who were already seated discussing council business. He took his seat at the high table where Town Clerk Mr Obert Muzawazi and the Mayor were already seated.

Just as he was about to contribute to the ongoing full council deliberations, the women who were now accompanied by a few men, found their way into the chambers and caused mayhem again.

They demanded that the deputy mayor be ejected from the meeting so that they solve their issue outside.

“He ran into this meeting and we want him outside. If he does come out nothing will proceed here,” answered a member of the group when he was asked by some councillors why they were disturbing council business.

Municipal police officers intervened and ejected the group from the chamber paving way for council business to proceed.

During the full council deliberations, the issue of the local authority’s collapsed medical aid scheme took centre stage as some councillors in the finance committee insisted that finance director, Mr Lloyd Musasa, and human resources manager, Mr Aaron Chemvura, be suspended on allegations of mishandling the scheme.

Mr Muzawazi said it was prudent for the local authority to gather evidence first before rushing to take disciplinary action that will be costly in future.

He said he has since written to the ministry for an audit of the medical aid scheme.

“When the audit team gives us a report of what actually transpired we will be in a position to act from an informed point of view,” he said.

The councillors subsequently agreed to follow proper procedures in dealing with the case as explained by the town clerk.

Clr Mukwada said the two managers would be suspended if they were seen to be interfering with the investigations in the event that they got be probed.