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Freedom Mupanedemo
Midlands Bureau
Gweru City Council has filed a car theft report to the police against its former acting town Clerk Mr Douglas Chikwekwe, who is on suspension and was still to surrender back a council vehicle which was allocated to him.
The charges were filed under police RRB number 5513624.
Mr Chikwekwe, who was suspended in February without pay and benefits, has been holding onto a council vehicle, yet there was a council resolution to have him surrender it.
Yesterday councillors resolved to immediately task Acting Chamber Secretary Mr Tapiwa Marerwa and a chief security officer to file theft of motor vehicle charges against Mr Chikwekwe.
Police confirmed the report, which they said was recorded as unauthorised use of council vehicle by the suspended acting town clerk. Contacted for comment, Mr Chikwekwe said he was rightly holding on to the vehicle as the council was still owing him a motor vehicle.
According to some council minutes and a Cabinet authority letter seen by The Herald, Mr Chikwekwe was supposed to have been given a brand new Toyota Fortuner SFX vehicle worth over US$80 000 when he was still the chamber secretary.
The vehicle, according to Mr Chikwekwe, was not bought, hence he was supposed to surrender the council vehicle once he receives his allocated car.
“As a matter of fact, the council is the one that owes me a vehicle,” he said. “There is a Cabinet approval document to the effect that the council should buy me a Toyota Fortuner worth US$83 000.
“The council is yet to deliver my car which was approved by the Cabinet. Surprisingly, they want to cry over this low value car when actually a US$170 000 car was destroyed in an accident and the person who destroyed it was not yet officially appointed at council.
“I never used that US$170 000 car when I was the Acting Town Clerk because I knew that the car was way above my pay grade; it belonged to a town clerk, but someone took it and wrecked it.”
Mr Chikwekwe said he was not the only one who left the council with a council vehicle.
“Mr Tigere, who is also on suspension, went with a council vehicle for his condition of service, who complained against it, who pushed for his arrest? Mr Manatsa also went away with a council vehicle and the vehicle was involved in an accident. Who pushed for his arrest?
“Just because we are of different political affiliations then they want to fix me. It doesn’t work that way.”
Asked if the said vehicle was given with any authority from the council to take the vehicle prior to his suspension, Mr Chikwekwe said there was no need for authorisation since he was the Acting Town Clerk.
“Authorisation for what? Remember I was the Acting Town Clerk, all those people who are driving council vehicles, do they have any papers or authorisation from the council?” he said.
“I am an executive, I am not just like the ordinary staff. Was I supposed to walk on foot as the Acting Town Clerk? Why didn’t they complain the first time they saw me driving the car? These people just want to abuse the police.
“It is the same issue that they are charging me with, they have since engaged lawyers over that issue, I think there are others who are desperate for my arrest just because they know that they are no longer coming back to Town House after the elections.
“So they are so desperate they want to settle scores with me.”
Mr Chikwekwe was suspended following accusations of acting inconsistently or contrary to his duties as an accounting officer for the City of Gweru by awarding contracts for the servicing of Mkoba 21 stands to Sheasham Investments, Casas Properties and Wackdrive (Pvt) Ltd without clearance from the Special Procurement Oversight Committee, thereby showing favour to the three land developers and disfavour to the other companies who bid for the job.
Online Reporter