Wednesday 7 August 2019

BYO MAYOR, DEPUTY : WE ARE SORRY


BULAWAYO Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni and his deputy Councillor Tinashe Kambarami yesterday apologised for the recent chaos at City Hall saying measures have been put in place to bring sanity and ensure that there are no sacred cows at council.

Cllr Kambarami and Ward 4 Councillor Silas Chigora violently ejected Bulawayo Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, from his office after he refused to take a letter “suspending” him from duty last month triggering an ugly chain of events.

Cllr Kambarami, who was the acting Mayor at a time when Cllr Mguni was on study leave in South Africa, accompanied by Cllr Chigora, shoved Mr Dube after he told them that their actions had no legal force. 

The two were at the forefront of violently ‘suspending’ Mr Dube accusing him of corruption, among other allegations.Councillor Mguni however, rescinded the suspension the following day and council ratified his decision days after.

Just before a full council meeting commenced yesterday, Councillor Mguni read a statement he co-signed with his deputy assuring residents that the disturbances would not happen again.

“The City of Bulawayo would like to apologise to residents and stakeholders on the recent disturbances that rocked the city on July 11 and 12, 2019. We want to assure residents that this will not happen again.

“This incident is a reminder to all of us on the importance of unity in whatever we do,” said Cllr Mguni. 

He said the events were also a reminder to all of them that they are servants of the people of Bulawayo, hence they must serve respectfully and honourably.

The Mayor said as a council, they would strengthen their dedication and responsiveness to fighting corruption and abuse of office.

“There shall be no sacred cows and anyone implicated must be investigated and go through the relevant audit processes. Once again the City of Bulawayo apologises to all stakeholders for the mix up. We’ll continue to serve our city with integrity and reputation of the City of Kings, to ensure we become a smart and transformative city by 2024, in line with our vision,” said Cllr Mguni.

Bulawayo councillors are reportedly divided between two factions angling to control the awarding of tenders and the Town Clerk has stood as a stumbling block to their shenanigans.

Government constituted a probe team to investigate circumstances leading to Mr Dube’s suspension and to look into corruption allegations raised against council management and its findings are yet to be released.

Residents have said the chaos at City Hall was a culmination of the election of immature, greedy councillors who think of their stomachs and little about service delivery. Chronicle

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