….Councillors threaten to fire CEO
…Minister appoints commission of enquiry on separation of roles
By Brighton Chiseva
ZAKA – The feud between Zaka Rural District Council (RDC) management and councilors is raging on and has forced Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe to intervene by appointing a Commission of Enquiry to look into the various allegations being raised.
TellZim News is in possession of a document in which Garwe appointed a five member team to investigate a number of issues ranging from separation of roles to compliance.
Garwe appointed Cephas Mudavanhu who is Deputy Director Rural Local Authorities in the ministry as chairperson of the investigating team, with Deputy Director (legal) Kudzai Tshuma, Innocent Matingwina (Chivi District Development Coordinator), C Zhakata (Rural Local Authorities Secretary) and P Mpofu (finance) as other members of the committee.
“The Investigation Committee will be guided by the following terms of reference: To ascertain the relationship between councilors and executives, with regards to separation of roles, to look into compliance of the RDC Act with reference to duties of Finance Executives; to establish compliance with the RDC Act with regards to convening of council meetings and to look into other Corporate Governance matters the committee may consider appropriate to the enquiry,” reads the statement.
The committee was given 10 days to carry out the investigations and reliable sources told TellZim that it will start the investigations on Monday July 1.
Zaka RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Majaura denied knowledge of the appointment of such a team and said he was yet to receive communication.
“I haven’t received it, I will inform you when I get the notification,” said Majaura.
However, the Council Chairperson Fungai Maregedze confirmed the development and said the commission of enquiry was appointed after she requested the minister to intervene.
“I am aware of the commission of enquiry which is supposed to come. The team was dispatched following our plea to the Minister for intervention following clashes with management where they accused us of interfering with their work,” said Maregedze.
TellZim News is also in possession of two leaked letters sent to the minister written by Maregedze and signed by fellow councilors which she also acknowledged saying she wrote to the minister to seek his intervention.
“I am aware of the letters, I am the one who wrote them and appealed to the minister to intervene because we are having some challenges at Zaka RDC.
In the first letter dated May 20 2024, the council chair said since her council had assumed office in August last year, they had met several stumbling blocks in the execution of their work and was seeking guidance as the issues were affecting service delivery.
“I am humbly making this submission to you Hon Minister seeking relief and guidance on several issues that are impeding service delivery and having a direct negative bearing on service delivery and my performance contract as chairperson of Zaka RDC,” reads part of the letter.
She also said council management was misinforming the responsible ministry about councillors interference in order to avoid scrutiny and being held to account.
The current crop of councilors are not the first to clash with Majaura as the 2013 to 2018 councilors also threatened to fire him over incompetency.
In 2016 the four MPs in the district then told the councilors that they were supposed to fire Majaura for his gross incompetence.
The investigation committee is expected to complete its work within 10 days and report to Garwe thereafter.
