Gweru councillors suspend top managers

Gweru City Council (GCC) has suspended two managers for alleged incompetence and indiscipline in what some observers view as a purge of managers who refuse to agree to the demands of outgoing councillors.

During a special council meeting last week, councillors unanimously recommended the suspension of acting and assistant housing directors, Mr Manfred Gambiza and Mrs Unity Jaji. A third manager who is the assistant finance director Mr Owen Masimba was given an ultimatum to implement a council resolution to remove 15 percent VAT that was added to the US$37 million 2023 budget.

Mr Gambiza was suspended indefinitely, while Mrs Jaji was put on a three-month forced leave. Mr Gambiza, Mrs Jaji and Mr Masimba said they were not allowed to speak to the Press as the council had channels of communication.

With the term of councillors coming to an end soon after the August 23 elections, allegations are that the targeted members of management have been blocking the way for councillors to acquire residential and commercial stands for themselves and their cronies.

“There has been a moratorium on selling of residential and commercial stands in Gweru and the councillors are aware of that but wanted to arm-twist management into selling them and their cronies’ stands before they vacate office,” said a source at the town house.

Another source said a lot of councillors were not coming back to council as they have been sidelined by the Citzens Coalition for Change and were told not to contest while others went rogue and are standing as independent candidates.

“With that in mind they have suspended people who are blocking them from getting stands. It’s not about performance or anything,” said the source.

On the other hand, the source said Mr Masimba was a victim of councillors who want to make populist policies in a bid to make voters believe that they have their interest at heart.

“Councillors are trying to get a sympathy vote from voters and that’s why this move,” said the source.

Gweru Mayor Councillor Hamutendi Kombayi confirmed the development.

“As council we held a special council meeting to look into the first quarter performance contracts of all managers. All managers were going through the council process explaining what they have done or achieved against their set targets,” he said.

Clr Kombayi said set targets by departments such as engineering services and housing and community services to buy yellow machines (tractors, front-end loaders etc) and sell 500 stands respectively.

“The engineering services for example bought some yellow machines but for the housing and community service department, they sold zero stands to date.

“That was a cause of concern and this is what the council termed incompetence on the part of the department head. So he (Mr Gambiza) was suspended because of incompetence as a director of housing,” he said.

While not at liberty to explain the charge, which Mrs Jaji is allegedly facing, Clr Kombayi said she was given a three-month forced leave.

“Mrs Jaji has a pending case and the council directed the acting town clerk (Mr Livingstone) Churu to take action in this regard,” he said.

In the case of Mr Masimba, Clr Kombayi showed this publication a council resolution, which demanded for the removal of 15 percent VAT added to the approved 2023 budget. Councillors have been accusing management of unscrupulously adding the 15 percent VAT without due diligence and consultation.

The Government approved GCC’s US$37 million 2023 budget in early January.

Meanwhile, acting Gweru district development coordinator (DDC) Mr Tarisai Mudadigwa has accused the local authority of victimising employees who allegedly refused to allocate housing stands to the outgoing councillors.

“It has come to the attention of this office that there are reports of unprocedural demands of privileges and stands by the outgoing councillors of the city of Gweru. The office is well informed that council repossessed 22 residential and commercial stands across the city due to non-development,” he said in a letter addressed to Mr Churu.

“Furthermore, this office is well informed that the same councillors have been accommodated in acquiring the stands before as required by the law and that the same councillors are pushing you as the town clerk to suspend staff members, especially in the housing department. This has resulted in quite a number of staff members taking leave days waiting for the council to be dissolved.”

Mr Mudadigwa said the council should follow procedures when repossessing and reselling the 22 housing stands and stop victimising its employees. — @pchitumba1.