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Zvamaida Murwira, Senior Reporter
Gokwe Town Council has fired its internal auditor over a US$80 cost the municipality incurred after damages to a council vehicle in an accident.
However, the case has created sharp divisions within council after the local authority spent more than US$6 000 for a disciplinary hearing committee constituted by people drawn from two other councils.
The council on Friday expelled internal auditor Mr Manasseh Mhlohlo after a hastily convened and financially draining disciplinary committee consisting of officers from Gweru City Council and Vungu Rural District Council.
An extraordinary full council meeting is set to be convened soon to discuss the case of the internal auditor and to deliberate on the rationale of assembling a disciplinary committee constituted by councillors from Gweru and Vungu. The disciplinary committee members drew thousands of US dollars in accommodation, sitting allowances, fuel and refreshments, among other costs. Members of the disciplinary committee had to travel more than 200km from Vungu to Gokwe for the hearing.
Some councillors wondered why management led by acting town secretary Engineer Melsen Masukume failed to hire local experts to conduct the hearing if they felt it was necessary.
They questioned why the hearing was hastily convened ahead of other pending cases and the pace at which management rushed to deliver a letter dismissing the internal auditor last Friday. Eng Masukume wrote a letter to Mr Mhlohlo informing him of his dismissal after the disciplinary hearing convened at Gokwe Town Council on October 4. “This letter serves to inform you that you have been dismissed from work with immediate effect. Following your conviction of contravention of the code of conduct, the disciplinary authority ordered your dismissal from employment of the Gokwe Town Council,” reads the letter.
“In light of the above, may you hand over all council property in your possession to the administration officer. You are also given notice to vacate council accommodation within one month.”
A source within Gokwe Town Council said it was not prudent to splash thousands of US dollars pursuing a US$80 case. Another source said the relevant committee of council was never briefed about the case and was likely going to be briefed when the proverbial horse has bolted from the stable, given that money had already been spent.
“As councillors we were never involved in the case. In fact, when it was brought to full council meeting recently, it came as an addendum but was never discussed as we were told that it will come from the relevant committee, the human resources committee,” said one councillor.
Another source said an extraordinary full council meeting will be convened to deliberate the issue.
“The major issue is not so much on the rationale of the hearing because as councillors those are administrative issues. Our concern is on the extravagance within which it was held. Our duty is to protect council from such wanton abuse of financial resources; we need value for money but in this instance, the case was held with reckless abandon,” said another councillor.
There is also another group of councillors that felt management acted within their mandate, making the impending extraordinary full council meeting intriguing given the stakes at hand.
A source close to the case said almost US$5 000 had already been splashed by the disciplinary committee in fuel, allowances, refreshments and lunch, among other costs, and was expected to balloon to around US$10 000.
There are others that fear that more money could be lost in legal costs should Mr Mhlohlo decides to exercise his right to appeal and approach the Labour Court in his quest to assert his rights.
Gokwe Town Council is under fire from residents as it is struggling to provide meaningful service to ratepayers, and paying its workers.
Contacted for comment, council chairperson, Councillor Liscious Mutegwe said councillors were not responsible for council officials and referred questions to Eng Masukume, who is responsible for all council officials. Eng Masukume, who initially requested questions in writing but later turned around saying he was busy and promised to call, had not done so by the time of going to print.
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