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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
Police last Friday stopped a meeting of Gweru City Council councillors and management after nine hours because it had exceeded the three-hour lockdown limit.
Council committees had been directed not to sit under the original Covid-19 lockdown rules by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, but the measures were relaxed, allowing local authorities to meet, but for periods not extending more than three hours with attendance of not more than 50 people.
Last Friday, the city fathers allegedly started a meeting around 2pm and were only forced to abandon it after nine hours, around 11pm by the police.
According to the circular addressed to all town clerks, secretaries and chief executives of local authorities from the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works Mr Zvinechimwe Churu, in undertaking meetings, care must be taken to ensure that the health and lives of councillors and staff are not put at risk.
“In view of the relaxing of some restrictions, council committees can now start to function where there are pressing business as long as council complies with the set down regulations,” read part of the circular from the ministry. “Note that meetings should not be held for the sake of a meeting, but only for the purpose of dealing with urgent matters.”
Councils had to limit the number of councillors and attending officials to less than 50, only a serious problem for Harare, ensure the meetings did not run longer than three hours, and ban food and non-bottled drinks.
Sources at council said food was served to councillors against the Government directive and that the meeting was not urgent.
“For starters, there wasn’t anything urgent. But they just wanted to purge staff members who are linked to the suspended town clerk Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza,” said a source on condition of anonymity.
Online Reporter