Are events at Civic Centre, orchestrated behind the scenes, sacrifices on the altar of political expediency or motivated by the desire for good service delivery to residents and ratepayers?
MUTARE-There are many questions than answers arising out of events at Mutare City Council over the real motives of behind the scenes machinations by some political actors.
A flopped demonstration, a closed special meeting with councilors, as Mutare City council management fate hangs by the thread on Monday brought another twist in the unfolding drama of the aftermath of an audit report presented by Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Savior Kasukuwere.
The report, among many quarters merely confirmed the already obvious fact of corrupt activities, admitted even by the man at the helm, under fire Town Clerk Obert Muzawazi at master plan review meeting.
However stakeholders interested in the fate the management fingered in the audit report, focusing on employment matters, which came to monitor developments of fired personnel but of a handful of demonstrators gathering at Civic Centre.
Upon rushing to the scene, demonstrators despite varying reasons for gathering all remained mum on who coordinated them only referring to them as ma shef . Further inquiries revealed that the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Mandi Chimene was behind the demonstrators who had gathered in anticipation of the firing of management.
Ironically the interviewed party residents, who all requested anonymity, gave differing reasons for their gathering, remaining in pockets of familiarity dotted in the front lawn at the municipality offices.
Some said they had gathered for their salaries, while others said they had been told to come to be addressed by the Mayor and management and others had come to discus development their stands in the controversial Gimboki settlement.
Back to the shef who organised the flopped demonstration, after her passionate plummeting of management at the audit report presentation by her colleague Kasukuwure, Chimene is apparently more determined to see Muzawazi and company leave office.
After shaming Aaron Chemvura in the meeting, Chimene still feels it is necessary for more behind the scenes lobbying, including an extraordinary meeting with councilors at her offices during the weekend.
Critics question motives of political actors
But there are some critics, who despite her getting much ululation for her efforts to bring good service delivery at the struggling municipality, are question her motives for these frantic endeavors.
David Mutambirwa, a civic activist, is skeptic over these developments, branding them as manifestations of divisions within Zanu PF, without the basis of a need for transparency and accountability at the council.
Mutambirwa is programs director at one of Mutare’s three Residents Association, Mutare Residents and Ratepayer Association (MURRA). He ominously warns against reading too much into the developments.
“We should take this with a pinch of salt because we have been clamoring for action over the corruption at council and no action has been taken. There is a huge probability that this is a manifestation of squabbles within Zanu PF and not about the issue of service delivery.
“As much as they (management) have done bad they might be victims of political infighting within the ruling party.
“Ironically it is the same government officials who have superintended over the comatose economy which is actually the nucleus of all this rot at the municipality, it has all emanated from the central government. Why are they now talking about corruption and huge pecks for the management when they have been silent all along,” said Mutambirwa.
Previously, Combined Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Trust, Rutherford Mangani also questioned the necessity of an audit, where previous recommendations of other audits have not been heeded.
Mangani said management hide behind fingers when they claim they are not receiving salaries as they awards each other hefty allowances, as exposed in previous audits.
“Why are council engaging auditors when they have been previous audits whose recommendations they have not followed, what is going to be different this time?
“Previous audits have shown how top management has been paying each other hefty allowances while claiming that they are also not receiving their salaries,” he said.
Mangani said instead of wasting already strained resources to identify a problem whose source is known is fool hardy, urging council to recover debt from those that owe council.
A hidden agenda
Some inside sources have however poured cold water on the fires stroked by the effervescent Minister of State accusing her of fronting the stage managed demonstrations to oust out the management.
The source which requested anonymity for fear of victimisation said Chimene was bitter because top management had disregarded several pleas from her office.
The well placed source also sensationally claimed that Chimene had submitted a list with 100 people ordering the Town Clerk to allocate stands to the people. Muzawazi is said to have refused this request to the anger of the Minister of State, leading to frosty relations.
It is also claimed that Chimene has since embarked on a personal crusade to ensure that Muzawazi is replaced with a more favorable person at the helm, someone in the mould of Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba a Zanu PF activist.
“Mandi (Chimene) is not fighting for good service delivery at the city council she just wants to put a puppet at the helm simply because Muzawazi has failed to accommodate her ridiculous demands.
“This is more personal and political than what people perceive from the grounds, she is bitter because the Town Clerk refused to give stands to a list of 100 people she had submitted to him,” said the source.
Muzawazi apparently also turned down another list, this time of workers whom Chimene was demanding get paid before other workers.
Due diligence
Meanwhile the Mayor Tatenda Nhamarare has indicated that the process of reviewing the audit will need due diligence of the councilors who are studying the report before taking any measures against management fingered in the expose.
He said some issues may take long to deliberate requiring councilors to break into committees as he said the process may take up to six months.
“Most councilors do not have the official document and after today’s adoptive meeting we will be distributing the document for their careful perusal.
“We will look at all issues as long as they put residents interest firs and let me hasten to say that I as the Mayor will do no favors to officials that are implicated in the report.
“We can’t just rush to make decisions and expose the council to possible litigation,” he said.
Nhemarare said councilors were well equipped to handle the matter as he appealed to the media to give the city fathers ample time to study the report.
He said the local authority was working closely with the Ministry of Local Government with an action plan that is under draft.
“We are working with the Ministry and we are waiting for the action plan which is under drafting stages that will guide us on how we will operate otherwise it may take two months even up to six months,” he said.
