Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
GREATER Victoria Falls residents have called for a lifestyle audit for all Victoria Falls City Council officials to identify individuals benefitting from corrupt activities.
Residents from the country’s newest city have been at loggerheads with council management and councillors over alleged corruption involving the sale of land.
The city residents were recently joined by villagers from surrounding communities under the banner of the Hwange District Residents Association to push for an audit of council.
A fortnight ago HDRA members stormed council offices demanding the ouster of Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube from office accusing him of corruption.
After removing him from office, Mayor Councillor Somveli Dlamini locked the office before a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) which was in the city to investigate allegations of corruption at the council ordered him to open it to allow the inquiry to take place.
The ZACC team eventually arrested Cllr Dlamini on allegations of fraud.
He has since appeared at the Hwange Magistrates’ courts.
The court last week on Monday denied Cllr Dlamini bail and remanded him in custody to October 27, saying there were fears of interference with witnesses and evidence emanating from the events that transpired when the group of war veterans and HDRA members demonstrated at council offices.
On Friday, the HDRA and war veterans’ members organised a meeting which was attended by dozens of residents at Chinotimba Community Hall where the call was made for corrupt councillors to resign and for a lifestyle audit to be instituted.
Residents were made to sign a petition which accuses management and some councillors of corruption and called for their resignation.
“We have been quiet as youth and we are concerned why one person has been arrested when everyone is stealing. There should be a commission of enquiry because you see when someone is voted as a councillor, he will be having nothing but now if you look at all of them, they are rich in a short space of time. How much are they earning to be able to lead such lives? We want all councillors investigated one by one,” said a youth from the crowd.
Residents said deteriorating service delivery in Victoria Falls was a result of corruption.
“The council is abusing us as we have to finance salaries and corruption. We need justice, if someone commits a crime he or she has to be arrested and prosecuted whether rich or poor. We wonder why the council employed an information technology specialist when they continue to use manual receipting. We want all councillors fired,” said Mr Johnson Ndlovu.
Another resident said the council offices should be closed.
Residents said they were concerned that there were no arrests made at council besides the mayor, despite numerous claims of corruption.
Another resident called for an audit of the employment system at the Victoria Falls City Council which she said was composed of people from Matabeleland South.
“All of them should be arrested and go to jail. We want transparency. We have a former official who was arrested and lost all property and this should happen to them too,” said a resident.
Speaking at the meeting, Zanu-PF War Veterans League Hwange District chair Cde Juma Mpala said they had been given the mandate by President Mnangagwa to fight corruption.
“We had no power until the recent conference where President Mnangagwa gave us the mandate to nip corruption in the bud and no one can stop us. So, if we agree that we do it, let’s do it,” said Cde Mpala.
“ZACC finished its investigations and people should be accountable. Our main concern is that people are leaving Zanu-PF saying the party is condoning corruption, so the President has given us the mandate to fight corruption.”
The Town Clerk was not reachable on his mobile phone.–@ncubeleon
Online Reporter