Back to Index

Suspended councillors: Hearings begin
The Herald
July 13, 2004

http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?id=33731&pubdate=2004-07-13

Hearings into events leading to the suspension of 13 Harare City councillors began yesterday with acting mayor Councillor Sekesayi Makwavarara, town clerk Mr Nomutsa Chideya, chamber secretary Mrs Josephine Ncube and the assistant town clerk, a Mr Magwenjere, appearing before an investigation committee.

The suspended councillors are expected to appear before the committee today with hearings expected to be completed by tomorrow.

The committee was established by the Government.

The councillors were suspended on June 1 this year without benefits for interfering in the management of council affairs.

The suspension followed the councillors’ defiance of a Government directive stopping the holding of elections to choose a new deputy mayor and standing committees.

Last year six councillors were fired for conduct inconsistent with the governance of the city.

The suspended councillors are Christopher Mushonga, Peter Chikwati, Shingirirai Kondo, Last Maengahama, Betty Suka, Peter Karimakwenda, Tapfumaneyi Bangajena, Wendy Dehwa, Tichanzii Gandanga, Elijah Manjeya, Wellington Madzivanyika, Linus Paul Mushonga and Oswell Badza.

The dismissal and suspension left the city with only 26 councillors out of 45.

"It has come to my attention that certain activities on your part continue to interfere with the management of council affairs, thus hindering the efficient operation of council and subsequently the delivery of services to the people of Harare," read the letter of suspension written by the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde Ignatius Chombo.

Manicaland acting provincial administrator Mr Fungai Mbetsa is heading the investigation committee established on June 29.

The other members of the committee are Masvingo provincial administrator Mr Felix Chikovo, Kwekwe City chamber secretary Mr Edward Mapara and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority legal advisor Mr Chinondidyachii Mararike.

"Following the suspension of 13 councillors at Harare City Council on 1 June 2004, in terms of section 114 of the Urban Councils Act, the said committee is now set to proceed with investigations, beginning Monday 12 July, 2004," said Cde Chombo in a letter to council.

The councillors have a pending court application on their suspension at the High Court. An earlier application to have their case heard as an urgent matter was thrown out for lack of merit.

In a related matter, Clr Makwavarara has said several councillors face suspension or dismissal for boycotting council committee meetings.

Her comments follow inquiries by The Herald over council’s failure to hold committee meetings.

Last week concerned city workers informed The Herald that some councillors, especially from the environmental committee, were boycotting committee meetings, a development that could affect the convening of a full council meeting.

"Some councillors are not coming to meetings. If they miss two consecutive meetings in two consecutive months, I will not hesitate to recommend their suspension or dismissal," she said.

Clr Makwavarara said councillors should behave in an honourable manner that leaves their constituents happy. She said if she failed to act on the boycotts it would be tantamount to negligence of duty on her part.

The Urban Councils Act, which governs the operations of local authorities, states that a seat shall be vacant when a councillor absents himself or herself from meetings.

The Act notes that a vacancy occurs if a councillor is absent without leave of council from its ordinary meetings during a period of two consecutive calendar months.

A vacancy also occurs if a councillor is absent from meetings of any committee of the council to which he has been appointed during a period of two consecutive calendar months, if the committee has at least one meeting in each of those calendar months or from two consecutive meetings of the committee which are not held in the same calendar month or in consecutive calendar months.

However, the minister may, on application by the council concerned and on good cause shown, excuse the councillor’s absence for such period or periods and on such terms and conditions as he may fix.

Clr Makwavarara said some of the councillors were not committed to the welfare of the city as observed at the recent 63rd annual conference of the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe.

She said some councillors who had earlier applied for leave of absence during the period covering the conference requested to be accommodated for the trip to Kariba.

"Because there was money (allowances), they requested to be in Kariba. We cannot allow that to happen," she said.

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP