Police yesterday arrested Chitungwiza Mayor Lovemore Maiko,
a councillor and an engineer on allegations of abuse of office through corrupt
activities involving the sale of commercial stands.
The mayor, who assumed office four months ago, is among top
officials that have been arrested in the new dispensation under President
Mnangagwa, who is calling for zero tolerance to corruption.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) is fighting
hard to implement the President‘s call which has started yielding results as
there are no sacred cows despite political affiliation with former Environment,
Tourism and Hospitality Industry and Zanu-PF member Minister Prisca Mupfumira
among several bigwigs who have been arrested.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi last night confirmed the arrest of the trio, saying they were still
assisting with investigations at St Mary’s Police
“I can confirm that we arrested ward 7 councillor
Chitungwiza mayor Lovemore Maiko, ward 2 councillor Kudakwashe John and works
director David Duma and they are currently assisting police with
investigations.
“The trio are being charged with criminal abuse of office
involving the selling of commercial land in Chitungwiza, 2 000 square metres at
Chigovanyika Shopping Centre. They later sold 1 500 of land to the wife of the
mayor after a council resolution they made,” he said.
However, reports from sources at Town House said another
councillor who is also alleged to be deeply involved in the scam Richard
Chamutsa is said to be on the run.
The sources close to the on-goings said the councillors
were bribed and allocated some commercial stands at Chigovanyika shopping
centre without a proper council resolution.
“Mayor and his other councillors were bribed by a suspected
MDC top official and sold out commercial stands at Chigovanyika for allocation
of a service station without the knowledge of the town clerk Dr George Makunde.
“The whole this was not procedural, no certificates from
either ZERA or EMA were submitted and presented before full council meeting,”
said one of the sources.
The recommendation to sell the land at Chigovanyika was
shot down by councillors during a recent full council meeting due to many grey
areas, but the trio allegedly proceeded with their decision.
City fathers argued that it was not proper to have a
service station in the area which was too close to residential houses as it was
dangerous because of its vicinity to residential houses.
The sources further allege that Maiko was no longer seeing
eye to eye with Dr Makunde’s whom he was now undermining as the town clerk and
is said to have written him a letter on Wednesday warning him to be effective
in his duty threatening to fire him.
We understand that Mayor Maiko has not been in good books
with the town clerk Dr George Makunde.
“As such he wrote a letter warning Dr Makunde that he must
report for work daily and attend council meetings since he is usually absent
most of the times. This did not go down well with him”.
Informal land deals have been the order of the day at
Chitungwiza Town house mostly being spearheaded by councillors in connivance
with some members of management and some junior employees.
Dr Makunde last night could not respond to the allegations
saying he was yet to get information regading the arrest of the trio.
In April 2017 Government suspended former Chitungwiza Mayor
Phillip Mutoti and 24 other councillors for allegedly corruptly allocating
themselves tracts of land worth over $7 million.
They were later cleared the charges. Herald
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