adminRichard Muponde Gwanda Correspondent
GWANDA Town Council chamber secretary, Hlupho Mhlanga, whose appointment was opposed by the Minister of Local Government and National Housing Saviour Kasukuwere, has resumed his duties.
Kasukuwere had blocked Mhlanga from taking up the job and directed the municipality to conduct fresh interviews. Mhlanga then went to court and obtained an order barring the Minister from directing the municipality to cancel his appointment.
Gwanda mayor, Councillor Knowledge Ndlovu, said Mhlanga started reporting for duty on Wednesday.
“I’m told that he’s around. He assumed duty. He hasn’t been introduced to us. He’ll be introduced to the staffing committee and the council as a whole. The case is over. We’re not going to appeal against the High Court decision. We can’t be going back and forth. The reason why he assumed duty is because we didn’t appeal against the decision,” said Clr Ndlovu.
Mhlanga, was successful in interviews that were conducted last year.
He sought an order interdicting Gwanda Municipality from re-advertising the post and Justice Martin Makonese ruled in his favour.
The chamber secretary had cited Gwanda Municipality and Kasukuwere as respondents.
Mhlanga argued that the Local Government Board (LGB), which is the approval authority, had approved his appointment. He said the law does not provide for a back and forth situation where the LGB approves someone’s appointment and then turns around and revokes it.
The judge ordered Gwanda Municipality to employ Mhlanga with effect from June 1, 2016.
Mhlanga was part of three candidates who were shortlisted for the job. The post, which was previously held by Priscilla Nkala, fell vacant when she became the council’s town clerk
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