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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
GWERU City Council has resolved to set up a board of inquiry to investigate allegations of corruption levelled against two councillors. The MDC-T councillors are accused among other things, of selling pit sand worth thousands of dollars to a private contractor and pocketing the money.
The councillors to be investigated are Albert Chirau of Ward 11 and Moses Marecha of Ward 1.
A special full council meeting chaired by Mayor, Clr Hamutendi Kombayi, on Monday also resolved that council should take a bank loan to pay workers’ salaries.
It noted that the board of inquiry should be made up of three councillors, three members from management and three members of the public.
“It was resolved that council set up a board of inquiry to investigate councillor Chirau and councillor Marecha,” reads part of the council minutes.
The meeting also resolved that management borrow $140,000 from CBZ to pay workers’ salaries.
It was noted that council had about $600,000 and wanted a further $140,000 for it to be able to cover workers’ December, January, February salaries.
The meeting also resolved to suspend over 30 workers pending disciplinary action for storming the venue of the special full council meeting on Monday. They invaded the council chambers accusing management and councillors of holding the meeting without them.
The workers argued that at a meeting brokered by Midlands Minister for State for Provincial Affairs, Cde Jason Machaya, it was agreed that council should not hold meetings which exclude workers’ representatives.
“It was resolved that all the employees who stormed the meeting should be suspended pending disciplinary action,” reads the minutes.
It was also resolved that three councillors and a council official go to Harare to meet the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Cde Prisca Mupfumira to get an update as to why her ministry hasn’t responded to council’s showcause order application.
Council wrote to the Ministry asking employees to show cause before they went on industrial action on April 28.
It was also resolved that the town clerk Daniel Matawu stops henceforth entertaining employees’ grievances.
The meeting noted that all workers grievances should come to council through the works council.
It was also resolved that the workers return to council all equipment including vehicles they have.
Clr Kombayi said council was not happy with the manner the employees were conducting themselves. The mayor said they had managed to deposit into each worker’s account four months’ salaries.
He said political activism rather than salary bargaining was now at play, accusing the workers’ leadership of having ulterior motives.
“They storm into meetings, they go to our clients and disconnect water, and say that is industrial action? No, there is activism at play. They have an agenda because we paid them four months’ salaries and deposited the money into bank accounts after the workers’ council directed us to so,” said Clr Kombayi.
Workers’ council secretary-general, Frank Muzorera, accused council of taking them for granted.
He said council was still to deposit salaries for the more than 700 employees who have FBC bank accounts. Muzorera said FBC only has accounts for half the councils’ workforce.
“I can confirm that we have been suspended pending a disciplinary action. We wanted to know why they failed to honour our agreement. They should have paid all our outstanding salaries by Thursday last week,” he said.
Online Reporter