Moffat Mungazi
Samuel Kadungure
News Editor
RUSAPE Town Council has suspended two executives who were arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) – with a special full council meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) to determine the move.
On Monday, ZACC arrested Togarepi Nerwande, the council’s Human and Capital Development Officer, and Morris Tekwa, who heads the Housing, Health and Community Services Department.
They were arrested alongside Arnold Mandizvidza Kutoka, a former council engineer now working in the same capacity at Marondera Rural District Council.
The trio allegedly contravened Section 174 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23), which makes abuse of duty by public officers a punishable offence.
The three accused, represented by Rusape-based lawyer Mr Taurai Khupe, did not enter a plea when they appeared before Mutare Provincial Magistrate, Ms Annie Ndiraya, on Tuesday. They were remanded out of custody to 27 June on US$100 bail each.
Ms Ndiraya ordered them to reside at their given addresses, and not to interfere with witnesses until the matter is finalised.
They were not barred from reporting for duty – but upon reporting for duty on Wednesday – the two executives were served with suspension notices by Rusape Town Secretary, Mr Solomon Gabaza.
The suspensions will be either ratified or rejected at tomorrow’s (Friday) special full council meeting.
RTC chairman, Councillor Lovemore Chifomboti, a complainant in the matter, confirmed tomorrow’s meeting.
A notice of the special full council meeting, dated June 11, 2025, signed, stamped and circulated to councillors by Mr Gabaza, contains two main agenda items.
It reads in part: “Notice is hereby given that a Special Full Council Meeting will be held in the council boardroom on Friday the 13th of June 2025 at 10am to discuss the matters set forth in the agenda hereunder:
“Adoption of Mr Morris Tekwa and Mr Togarepi Nerwande suspensions; (and) Appointment of the Acting Director of Housing, Health and Community Services and Acting Human Capital and Administration Officer.”
The conditions and terms of their suspensions were not immediately clear.
Well-placed sources privy to the developments at the civic centre revealed that either Mr Blessing Kwambana or Mr Munetsi Chitongo is poised to replace Mr Tekwa, while Ms Chenai Zengedza will take over from Rerwande.
Nerwande, Tekwa, and Kutoka allegedly conspired to award Texas Energy Private Limited a 10-hectare plot of land in Tsanzaguru for the construction of a solar plant, contrary to established procedures.
The Department of Spatial and Development in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works had rejected the proposal, citing insufficient land and the existing residential zoning of the land in question.
Nevertheless, they purportedly resubmitted the company’s application to the council, despite being aware that it had been rejected by the ministry in 2018.
Online Reporter