…audit committee suspended
The axe
wielded by MDC-T president Douglas Mwonzora claiming the scalp of four City of
Masvingo councillors has affected operations at the local authority with
council struggling to constitute standing committees resulting in the
suspension of the audit committee.
Mwonzora
expelled Tarusenga Vhembo, Godfrey Kurauone, Daniel Mberikunashe and Richard
Musekiwa as councillors for Wards 3, 4, 5 and 7 respectively among many others
across the country.
Special
council meeting minutes of January 14, 2021 said that the recall of the four
councillors has left standing committees without enough members to constitute
membership and quorums.
Following
the recalls, all the committees with the exception of Health, Housing and Environmental
Services Committee remained with two members instead of three as prescribed by
the Urban Councils Act.
Section
96 (9) of the Urban Councils Act reads ‘…a standing committee shall consist of
such number of members being not less than three as the council may determine.’
Traditionally,
City of Masvingo committees had a membership of four in all committees with a
quorum of three.
“Having
remained with six councillors including the Mayor and deputy Mayor, it was
impossible to maintain the current committees with four members and a quorum of
three.
“In
light of the reduced number of councillors, it was suggested and agreed that
the membership of the committees be reduced to three with a quorum of two
councillors,” reads the minutes.
Masvingo
is now left with six councillors out of the ten voted for in the 2018
harmonised elections.
City of
Masvingo has five standing committees namely Health, Housing and Environmental
Services committee, Public Works and Planning committee, Human Resources and
Gender committee, Finance and General Purposes committee and the Audit
committee.
After
the reconstitution of the standing committees, the Health, Housing and
Environmental Services committee will remain with Ward 1 councillor Alderman
Sellina Maridza, Ward 9 councillor Babylon Beta and Ward 8 councillor Against
Chiteme.
The
Public Works and Planning committee will see cllr Maridza joining Ward 10
councillor Sengerayi Manyanga and Ward 6 councillor and deputy mayor Wellington
Mawende.
“It was
suggested and agreed that council maintains the tradition in which the Finance
and General Purposes committee would consist of chairmen of other committees
excluding the chairman of the Audit committee.
“The
membership of the Finance and General Purposes committee will consist of councillor
Beta as the chairperson, councillor Maridza and two members elected to chair
the Public Works and Planning committee and Health, Housing and Environmental
Services committee,” reads the minutes.
Councillors
Maridza, Manyanga and Chiteme will chair the Human Resources and Gender
committee.
After
the recall of the four councillors, there were no adequate councillors to
constitute the audit committee and council agreed to suspend its operations and
engage with the minister of Local government on the way forward.
“In
terms of Section 97 (2) of the Urban Councils Act Chapter 29.15, the mayor,
deputy mayor and chairpersons of every committee of council shall not be a
member of the audit committee.
“After
the recall of the four councillors, there were no adequate councillors to
constitute the Audit committee. It was suggested and agreed to suspend
operations of the Audit committee in the meantime whilst the Acting Town Clerk
(Edward Mukaratirwa) would engage the minister of Local Government and Public
Works on the same.
“In the
interim period, the Chief Internal Auditor would report to the Acting Town
Clerk who will in turn report to council where necessary,” reads the minutes.
Masvingo
is faced with a myriad of service delivery problems with residents up in arms
with the local authority over the recent 500 percent rates hike which the
council says will improve services.
