City of Masvingo has fired Bushmead Water Works
superintendent for gross negligence following a massive shortage of chemicals at
the water treatment plant late last year, TellZim News can reveal.
Charles Chapanduka, who was waterworks superintendent when
council pumped half-treated water, has been removed from his position and
resigned to the sewerage plant in Eastvale.
Mayor Collen Maboke confirmed the development and revealed
that Chapanduka was found guilty of gross negligence following internal
disciplinary procedures although he had appealed the judgement.
“He was demoted to the sewerage department after he was
found guilty at the initial hearing. He appealed but we found issues relating
to gross negligence because he didn’t perform his duties as expected,” said
Maboke.
Since January, Chapanduka has been under suspension as
investigations were being made into allegations of incompetence after he failed
to report the shortage to Town Engineer Tawanda Gozo, only for Council to act
on a tip-off from one of Chapanduka’s subordinates.
TellZim reported in January this year that the local
authority had faced a chemical shortage and had to borrow 15 tonnes of aluminum
sulphate from Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to cover up for the
shortage.
Although council tried to save face by rubbishing the
TellZim story, they set-up a commission of inquiry which found Chapanduka
guilty of gross negligence and failing to report shortage to his superiors in
time.
Chapanduka, however, is said to have spiritedly pleaded his
innocence saying he on several instances warned his superiors in the
engineering department that the aluminium sulphate stocks were reaching
dangerously low levels but he was ignored. To date, no senior personin the
engineering department has been help liable, with sources arguing that
Chapandukwa was made a scapegoat.
The local authority has since called for applications for
the post and they are also in the process of recruiting an Assistant Water
Works Supt. TellZim News
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