Town Clerk fights to move into mayoral mansion

Blessings Chidakwa, Midlands Correspondent
GWERU City fathers have clashed with their Town Clerk after they resolved to turn the 20-roomed mayoral mansion into a lodge.

The Town Clerk, Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza, insists that she should occupy the mansion as it was part of the package that attracted her to join the council.

“There is a lot of talk regarding the mayoral mansion. To begin with, it’s a package that made me join Gweru City Council.

“When l got this job l was supposed to be booked in a hotel until council found suitable accommodation but l decided to commute waiting for council to find suitable accommodation,” she said.

On Wednesday, a special council meeting upheld a 2015 resolution to turn the mayoral mansion into a guest lodge.

In an interview yesterday, Gweru Mayor, Councillor Charles Chikozho, confirmed the resolution, saying they are sticking to their 2015 resolution to convert the mayoral mansion into a state-of-the-art lodge to bolster the council’s revenue.

“As of now our position regarding the mayoral mansion is to turn the mayor’s house into a guest lodge. As for the Town Clerk, the council is now sorting her accommodation elsewhere,” said mayor Chikozho.

Ms Gwatipedza joined the local authority last December and is currently commuting from Redcliff Town near Kwekwe, daily at her own expense.

Last year she was given the greenlight to use the mayoral mansion for accommodation by the Tsunga Mhangami-led commission, which ran the council’s affairs while the councillors were on suspension.

Gweru United Residents’ Association (GURA) secretary general Mr Reward Mhuri had no kind words for Ms Gwatipedza labeling her an overzealous and greedy person.

“The Town Clerk is overzealous and greedy. As residents we are taken aback by her behaviour to want to take over the mansion, she just bulldozes decisions the way she did on the $38 000 curtains saga. The clash with the councillors was bound to happen sooner rather than later,” Mr Mhuri said.

The mayoral mansion has been under massive renovations over the past few months.