The infighting has led to the arrest of several council
officials, including Chisango, who now alleges his woes were a creation of his
subordinates working with elected officials.
Human resources director Matthew Marara, housing director
Admore Nhekairo and several others have been arrested for alleged corruption
amid accusations and counter-accusations from different camps.
Chisango conceded that the chaos had grounded council
operations, hence the need for Moyo to intervene.
In a letter dated October 29, 2020 addressed to Moyo,
Chisango’s lawyers Mtombeni, Mukwesha and Muzawazi Legal Practitioners claimed
that the town clerk was a victim of machinations by some elected officials working
with his subordinates.
“We humbly plead for your intervention to stop this
paralysis within council,” the letter read in part.
“Our client’s arrest and subsequent suspension from work
was not done according to law, but was sponsored by subordinates one of whom he
was disciplining for incompetence. This was all done with a view to destroy
evidence as our client, as the chief executive officer of council, is the main
witness and complainant,” the letter added.
Chisango said the Urban Councils Act clearly outlined
conditions of service of a town clerk and how disciplinary action could be
taken against him, but in his case, council never considered any report nor did
it report to the police.
Chisango was arrested on September 10 for alleged
corruption involving illegal parcelling out of land in Kuwadzana. He is out on
bail.
“Our client’s bail conditions restricted him from reporting
for work until October 5, 2020 and this was not breached. He was released from
that condition by the lapsing of the period and the council cannot impose
further restrictions without cause as is now happening,” the lawyers said.
“On the day his bail restrictions lapsed, the mayor (Jacob
Mafume) advised him that Collin Tongoona, the chief security officer submitted
a report to him with recommendations that he be hauled before a disciplinary
tribunal. This was unprocedural as there was no audit report neither was he
given an opportunity to respond to the allegations. What is also malicious is
that he only saw the report circulating on social media.”
The lawyers said the council should have appointed a
special committee in terms of the law to investigate any misconduct if such was
assumed to have taken place.
“These processes were not done, but the council want to
rely on a report from municipal police and (Engineer) Isaiah Chawatama whom he
was disciplining for various acts of misconduct,” the lawyers added in the
letter to Moyo.
Chisango claimed he commissioned the city’s internal audit
to investigate Chawatama for various acts of misconduct which include alleged
abuse of fuel, general lethargy in execution of projects and his propensity to
post malicious materials on social media platforms. Newsday
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