Gweru seeks to fire chamber secretary

of nepotism.
However, Masinire claims the move is politically motivated.
Town Clerk Mr Daniel Matawu set up a committee that investigated Mr Masinire and recommended his dismissal.
Senior officials are recruited by the Local Government Board, which is administered by the Local Government Minister. The board has the final say in the dismissal of senior officials.
Mr Masinire, who is perceived to be a Zanu-PF loyalist, says the investigations and subsequent report recommending his dismissal are politically motivated.
Mr Matawu confirmed last week that council would meet this week to deliberate on the report.
He denied allegations that the dismissal was politically motivated saying he did not even know which political party Mr Masinire belonged to.
“His case has no politics. He was just in the wrong,” he said.
In her report to Gweru City Council committee chairperson Ms Pathekile Msipa, a Gweru magistrate, recommended that Mr Masinire should be fired.
Mr Masinire faced charges of nepotism in the employment of senior council officials.
“We are of the view that the only appropriate sentence will be dismissal of the respondent from the office of chamber secretary with effect from date of conviction 11 March, 2011,” she said.
However, the Msipa report does not quote the relevant Urban Councils Act provisions that Mr Masinire flouted.
“The respondent was found guilty after a long protracted trial on four counts of any act, conduct or omission inconsistent with the fulfilment of the express or implied conditions of his contract of employment.
“It is therefore held that respondent is guilty on count 1, 2, 3, and 7 and is given the benefit on count 4, 5 and 6 and is hereby discharged on those counts,” said Ms Msipa.
Ms Msipa said although the people employed by Mr Masinire were properly qualified, “we must consider his transgression by looking at a particular class of people that had requisite qualifications”.