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Patrick Chitumba : Midlands Bureau Chief
ELEVEN Gweru councillors who were re-instated by the High Court two weeks ago reported for work yesterday at the Town House but spent the whole day sitting in the boardroom as their offices were locked.Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Francis Bere two weeks ago ordered the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Saviour Kasukuwere, to re-instate the 11 councillors who had been suspended indefinitely for abuse of office.
The councillors, including the mayor councillor Hamutendi Kombayi, were suspended on August 12 last year on allegations of gross misconduct, incompetence and mismanagement.
Justice Bere granted a final order in favour of the 11 councillors saying the Minister had no power to suspend them.
Kombayi said they were just following the order from the High Court.
He said on Thursday last week, they advised provincial administrator, Cecilia Chitiyo, and acting town clerk, Edgar Mwedzi, of their intention to hold a special council meeting the following day, but got no response.
“We’re here and we’ve reported for duty but we hear that the commissioners are not around.
“We’re coming back tomorrow (today) and we want to take full control of the council,” he said.
The mayor said they had however held a meeting with Mwedzi “to iron out things”, but could not comment further.
The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in the Midlands, Jason Machaya, said the councillors should not report for duty until, Minister Kasukuwere, responds to the High Court order.
“As it stands, the minister hasn’t seen the written order from the High Court. Once the order is there in black and white then can the ministry made a determination. So those people mustn’t be there,” he said.
The chairperson of the commission, Tsunga Mhangami referred The Chronicle to the Ministry, but Minister Kasukuwere was not immediately reachable.
derick.khumalo