adminHerald Reporters
ANGRY Chitungwiza residents yesterday besieged town council offices, manhandled and assaulted mayor councillor Lovemore Maiko over poor service delivery, alleged corruption and abuse of office, among other things.
Yesterday residents pounced when Clr Maiko was about to chair a full council meeting resulting in the abandonment of the meeting.
Police had to intervene, rescue the mayor and disperse the angry mob, baying for the mayor’s blood.
This comes after Clr Maiko and other councillors were arrested last week on allegations of corruption, but was released by the police pending further investigations.
Police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and said investigations were in progress.
“Yes, we confirm receiving an assault report from Chitungwiza today (Monday) and already three people have been arrested in connection with assault and are assisting with investigations,” he said.
MDC deputy national spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka also confirmed the assault on mayor Maiko in a statement and said he had sustained injuries and is need of medical attention.
“The mayor sustained injuries and is seeking medical attention”.
In the same statement, Tamborinyoka downplayed the allegations levelled against the mayor and his colleagues saying they were “trumped up charges.”
“False allegations have been raised against the mayor that he allocated his wife a stand when there is no iota of truth in the allegations.
“The police who arrested the mayor and his deputy investigated the allegation and freed them after concluding that the two had no case to answer.”
Mayor Maiko, a councillor and an engineer are facing allegations of abuse of office through corrupt activities involving the sale of commercial stands.
The mayor, who assumed office four months ago is among top officials that have been arrested in the new dispensation under President Mnangagwa, who is calling for zero tolerance to corruption.
The trio are being charged with criminal abuse of office involving the selling of commercial land in Chitungwiza, 2 000 square metres at Chigovanyika Shopping Centre.
They later sold 1 500sqm of land to the wife of the mayor after a council resolution.
Online Reporter