By Staff Reporter
ZAKA – Chaos has engulfed Zaka Rural District Council as Chairperson Fungai Maregedze and Chief Executive Officer David Majaura engage in a bitter power struggle that has paralysed decision-making, triggered an attempted dismissal, and drawn the intervention of the Ministry of Local Government, raising fears that the local authority may be sliding into total dysfunction.
The latest twist in the long-running feud, which has simmered since 2023, saw Maregedze issue Majaura with a final written warning threatening his dismissal, a move that has been declared procedurally irregular and unlawful by the District Development Coordinator, who has since written to the Acting Director of Local Government Roy Hove seeking urgent intervention.
Contacted for comment by TellZim News over the matter, Hove said he was yet to receive the letter, though sources at the provincial offices confirmed he had received it and was aware of the ongoing developments.In a letter dated July 3, 2026, seen by TellZim News, Maregedze accused Majaura of unsatisfactory performance, wilful disobedience of lawful orders, and sabotage of council resolutions.
She cited consecutive years of poor performance from Quarter 3 of 2023 to Quarter 1 of 2026, alleging that Majaura’s performance had consistently been below average based on 11 assessments by Best Practice.
In the letter, Maregedze claimed that Zaka RDC had failed to meet minimum service delivery expectations, resulting in the council being labelled “amber” by the Ministry of Local Government.
She also accused Majaura of failing to submit financial statements on time, leading to adverse audit opinions from the Auditor General’s reports from 2021 to 2024, and of making unauthorized alterations to council resolutions without proper consultation.
The letter, which was received and stamped by Majaura on July 7, gave the CEO one last chance to correct his performance by the end of the third quarter of 2026, warning that any further misconduct or insufficient improvement would lead to automatic dismissal.
“All three actions constitute gross misconduct, which warrants dismissal on the first breach according to the Zaka RDC code of conduct and the Labour Act. However, to avoid unnecessary labour issues on behalf of the council, I am giving you one last chance to correct and improve your performance by the end of the third quarter of 2026. If there is further misconduct or insufficient improvement, the likely consequence will be automatic dismissal,” read part of the letter.
However, the decision to issue a final written warning without prior first and second written warnings was fiercely contested by Zaka Rural District Development Coordinator (DDC) Nyaradzo Tongofa.
In her intervention letter, Tongofa argued that the Council’s Code of Conduct requires progressive disciplinary measures, and that the unilateral issuance of the letter by the Chairperson, without the matter being tabled before the Human Resources Committee or approved by full Council, was procedurally defective and unlawful.
“The unilateral issuance of such a letter outside the established institutional processes creates the impression that the communication represents the personal opinion, position or displeasure of the Chairperson rather than a lawful and properly constituted Council decision,” Tongofa stated.
“At the outset, it is important to note that the disciplinary action taken against the CEO appears to be inconsistent with the disciplinary procedures provided for in Zaka Rural District Council’s Code of Conduct. “The Code provides for progressive disciplinary measures, under which the CEO is ordinarily expected to be subjected to a first written warning, followed by a second written warning, before a final written warning may be issued,” Tongofa wrote.
She went on to say the conduct complained of did not appear to fall within the category of gross misconduct, rendering the invocation of gross misconduct provisions a misapplication of the Code.This is not the first time Maregedze has attempted to fire Majaura.
Sources say the two have been at odds since 2023, with Majaura seen as a stumbling block to Maregedze’s quest for total control of the local authority. The infighting has hindered development at one of the country’s poorest local authorities, which has been labelled “amber” by the Ministry due to poor performance.
The tensions were further inflamed when Maregedze attempted to secure a vehicle for herself against council procedures.
Sources revealed that Maregedze, in connivance with the then acting CEO Machemedze, attempted to smuggle the purchase of a chairperson’s vehicle into the procurement programme while the substantive CEO Majaura was on leave.
The matter was never debated or approved in a full council meeting, and the Heads of Department declined vehicles worth US$70,000, insisting on cars below US$35,000.
The total intended bill was reportedly going to exceed US$1 million. The move attracted the attention of Minister of Local Government Daniel Garwe, who wrote a letter stopping the purchase.
The Minister is said to be unhappy because the poor performance of local authorities, including Zaka, reflects badly on the Ministry and ultimately affects his own performance rating.
Maregedze’s actions are also believed to be affecting her husband’s political career. Her husband, Clemence Chiduwa, is the Zanu PF Zaka District Coordinating Committee Chairperson and Member of Parliament for Zaka South.
Chiduwa gave Maregedze a free ticket to council as a quota councillor.
Sources allege that the couple was seeking to fire Majaura and replace him with a loyalist who would give them access to control the council and the entire district in the long run.
The matter now awaits intervention from the Ministry of Local Government, which will have to determine whether Maregedze’s actions were procedurally correct or whether the council chairperson overstepped her authority in a move that could have far-reaching implications for governance at the local authority
