IN a first for Bulawayo, the city council is set to pamper the Mayor, Councillor Solomon Mguni, with a mayoral mansion located in the exclusive Hornung Golf Club in the leafy suburb of Burnside, Sunday News can reveal.
In addition, the mayor, who has been staying in the
high-density suburb of Nkulumane, will have a 24-hour security guarding the
mansion, among other perks that will be provided at the expense of rate payers.
The council contends that the mayor, who is Councillor for
Ward 23, must have secure accommodation following a series of break-ins at his
house. Two months ago, thieves broke into Clr Mguni’s car and stole cash among
other valuables at his home in Nkulumane.
According to a council confidential report, after the
mayor’s car was broken into, council considered to move him to a secure
accommodation, claiming Clr Mguni could be attacked by disgruntled
stakeholders.
“The person of the mayor might be a target of attacks by
virtue of the office he occupies. Besides everyday thuggery, the Mayor might be
targeted for attacks by disgruntled stakeholders for the reason that he is the
council’s figurehead. Such attacks might have perilous results.
“Council owns a certain property at Hornung Golf Club and
it is currently leased to a tenant.
“The Town Clerk (Mr Christopher Dube) considered it prudent
that this be transformed into the Mayoral accommodation and that council
provides security to guard the property and the occupants,” reads part of the
report.
Council resolved that the person occupying the house must
be given notice to vacate the premises and that thereafter it be occupied by
the mayors of the city. According to the report, most of the councillors opposed
the move questioning how Clr Mguni will continue to carry out his ward duties.
The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Mlandu Ncube, is the only one
on record who defended the move arguing that security can only be provided on
council properties.
“Discussion ensued and Alderman Siboniso Khumalo did not
support the idea to move the Mayor from his ward. He said the Mayor had been
voted for in Ward 23.
He sought clarity on how he was going to execute his
duties.The Deputy Mayor (Clr Ncube) said BCC was the only local authority with
no mayoral accommodation.
He further mentioned that council could not use its
security on private property. Security could only be provided if the Mayor was
occupying council property,” reads the report.
Other councillors who are members of the General Purposes
Committee that rejected the proposed move include Clr Tawanda Ruzive and Clr
Sinikiwe Mutanda, with some suggesting that instead Clr Mguni must have
security beefed up at his house in Nkulumane. The decision reportedly only
sailed through after Mr Dube (Town Clerk) reported that he had already begun
engaging the Government and there were no objections to the move.
“The city legal officer felt there was a need to find out
the position of the Ministry to mayoral accommodation. In response to the
sentiments raised, the Town Clerk advised that he had started to communicate
with the Ministry and the Ministry was agreeable as long as it was reasonable.
He said the Mayor was constrained in terms of security matters,” reads the
report. Sunday News visited the Burnside property last week. There was no one
in the house and the news crew could not immediately ascertain how many rooms
the house has. Nonetheless, the crew observed that it is a white double storey
house. The perimeter fence has two gates, one opening to the main road while
the other opens to the affluent, members only golf club. The golf club seems to
be immaculately maintained although the house itself needs some touch-ups. The
golf club is also not visible from the main road.
Local Government and Public Works Deputy Minister Marian
Chombo told Sunday News that local governance in Zimbabwe is based on a concept
of democratic representation.
“That way the people from a ward choose someone from their
ward to represent them in council. When the chosen councillor decides not to
live in that specific ward, one loses that basis for representation. You are no
longer tasting your own services to that ward and you lose contact with the
people you are supposed to be serving,” she said.
She, however, said the Urban Council Act and the Electoral
Act do not necessarily require one to live in that specific ward.
“In that case somebody moving from his/her ward to live in
another ward is not breaking the law but will not be fully in line with the
concept of representative democracy. Mayors aren’t executive they are ward
based.” Sunday News
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