Government mulls inquiry for Bulawayo

Vusumuzi Dube, Deputy Radar Editor

THE Government has identified Bulawayo City Council as an immediate priority for the setting of a Commission of Inquiry following concerns raised regarding the operations of local authorities in the country.

The move follows a recent Commission of Inquiry instigated in Harare with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works saying it will extend similar measures to other councils across the country to ensure they walk the straight and narrow with regards to governance.

Speaking after the presentation of Harare’s Commission of Inquiry report at State House last Tuesday, the Minister of Local Government, Daniel Garwe, said local authorities are plagued by decay stemming from poor governance hence the need for detailed inquiries.

The Harare Commission of Inquiry was led by retired High Court judge, Justice Maphios Cheda.
“That is why the President has put in place a Commission of Inquiry, it is born out of the decay in the way our local authorities, especially our urban authorities, are being run. Harare City Council is number one, and Bulawayo City Council is number two going forward.

“I do not know yet, but we have made the recommendation that we need to have a thorough investigation of all our urban local authorities because there is a lot of decay,” said Minister Garwe.

Responding to questions from Sunday News, the Local Government Ministry’s spokesperson, Mr Gabriel Masvora, confirmed that they have already made recommendations for the establishment of commissions of inquiry on all urban authorities in the country, inclusive of the BCC.

He emphasised on the legal framework for such investigations, where the President was the only one with the authority to establish such commissions.

“According to Section 2(1) of the Commission of Inquiry Act (Chapter 10:07), it is the prerogative of the President to appoint a Commission of Inquiry into the conduct of any officer in the Public Service.

“As the Minister of Local Government and Public Works alluded to during the handover of the report on Harare to His Excellency President Mnangagwa this (last) week, the ministry is generally worried about how most local authorities across the country are run,” said Mr Masvora.

“The ministry simply recommends to the President and as stated by Hon. Garwe, recommendations have been made aimed at having thorough investigations targeting all urban local authorities,” added the Ministerial spokesperson.

Last year, two Bulawayo councillors, Deputy Mayor Councillor Edwin Ndlovu and chairperson of the Finance Committee Clr Mpumelelo Moyo were implicated in corrupt practices after they allegedly solicited a US$20 000

“facilitation” fee from a cement factory investor. The two are out on bail.

After the arrest of the duo, land developers, came out contending that they have been living with the corrupt reality where they were supposed to cede 10 percent of the value of their contracts to the city councillors.

Bulawayo United Residents Association (Bura) chairperson, Mr Winos Dube said as residents they were disappointed and disheartened that the very people they had entrusted with the running of the city’s affairs were the very people who were pulling it back.

He commended the Government’s decision to pursue these inquiries, saying it underscores a commitment to accountability and transparency within Local Governance structures, as officials seek to address the issues affecting service delivery and management in urban areas.

“To some of us who have lived in this beautiful city for decades, we ask ourselves why at the turn of the millennium we are getting all these unfortunate issues of corruption. Are we seconding the right people to run the city for us, people who are there to serve the city and not their personal interests?

“We should all look at the long-term effects of what is happening — be it true or not — but we are being backwards, this is what investors look at and with such corruption reports they will certainly shun investing in our city and this will see our economy not improving,” said Mr Dube.