Kwekwe councillors suspended for misconduct

Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent

THE Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has suspended three Kwekwe City councillors on allegations of gross misconduct, incompetence and wilful violation of the law after they tampered with an approved budget making it difficult for council to operate.

Former Mayor, Angeline Kasipo (Ward 10), former Deputy Mayor, Melody Chingarande (Ward 5) and their Ward 8 counterpart Edu Makomborero Mlambo were all suspended with immediate effect for allegedly tampering with the approved budget.

Kwekwe City Council had its 2023 budget, which sought to increase tariffs by about 400 percent, approved by the Government but during a full council meeting, the said councillors argued and influenced a decision that the budget was weighing heavily on the ratepayers and proposed that the council stagger the implementation process. Clr Mlambo proposed that the council start by implementing a 100 percent increase and further increase the tariffs with time depending on the economic outlook.

The proposal was adopted by a majority of the councillors including Chingarande and Kasipo. Other councillors who supported the motion were Clrs Betty Ndlovu, Pikurai Msipa, Washington Moyo and Zamani Ngwenya.

In his letter signed, Minister July Moyo said the three councillors acted unlawfully and suspended them in terms of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15) as amended by the Local Government Laws Amendment Act Number 8 of 2016.

“You supported the proposal to review the 2023 approved budget and the secondment of the illegal resultant resolution passed on 27 January 2023 of reviewing an approved budget even though you were advised by the Chamber Secretary (Mr Athenas Chidzurira) about the illegality,” wrote Minister Moyo.

He said this was in violation of the Public Finance Management Act (Chapter 22:19) and the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15).

“The law is very clear on the procedures of supplementing a budget after it has been approved. A supplementary budget has to undergo the same process as the approved budget in terms of Section 288(5) of the Urban Councils Act,” he said.

The move made it difficult for the council to operate.

“Your maladministrative actions caused Council to be ungovernable, and have caused Council to operate without a budget which is illegal,” said Minister Moyo.

Clr Mlambo also faced another charge of assaulting a fellow councillor during a meeting.

“You (Clr Mlambo) also have a tendency of assaulting other councillors during council meetings and labelling others as a thief, a fool and a dog. The above allegations give reasonable grounds to suspect that you are guilty of gross misconduct, gross incompetence and wilful violation of the law despite advice and your actions institute ungovernability and financial chaos in the running of Kwekwe City Council. You shall not conduct any business for or on behalf of council, within or outside council premises,” he said.

The councillors were given seven days to respond to the allegations. Clrs Kasipo and Chingarande were recalled in 2021 for dumping MDC and joining CCC and only returned to the chamber via a by-election. Clr Mlambo was elected during the 2002 by-election to replace the late Shadreck Tobaiwa.