Acting Mutare city Town Clerk, Dr Anthony Mutara appeared in court on allegations of fraudulently employing his niece, after he was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
ZACC officers nabbed Dr Mutara, who also heads the Health services, on allegations of corrupt recruitment of a Geanor Ndlovu, as well as forging documentation to misrepresent that she had been appointed by the late Joshua Maligwa.
Magistrate Langton Mukwengi released him on bail on ZWL$ 40 000, strict conditions to report once every fortnight at Mutare Central Police Station’s CID section with the matter set to resume on 21 September.
Dr Mutara was represented by his lawyer Hugo Tanaya of Tanaya Legal Firm.
State prosecutor Sharon Chibvongodze, alleged that Mutara’s actions were contrary to his role as public officer by illegally appointing Ndlovu without following recruitment procedures.
The state added that his actions were done at the expense of Council’s good administration and single handedly recommended as well as approving the contract and later signed the contract on behalf of the late town clerk Joshua Maligwa.
“On 4 December 2020, the then Town Clerk of Mutare City Council, Joshua Maligwa went on sick leave and decided to appoint the Finance Director Mr Chafesuka as the acting Town Clerk starting from 05 January 2021 to 05 February 2021. However Maligwa died on the 5th of January 2021.
“On the 8th of January 2021, the accused person authored a memorandum to the acting Town Clerk recommending for Ms Geonor Ndlovu to be contracted as a typist in the Health Department for the reason that his Personal Assistant A.C Ngwarati was on sick leave as she was not feeling well,” the court heard.
Furthermore Dr Mutara is alleged to have attached a letter from his Personal Assistant which had his instructions, ordering Ngwarati to fill leave forms and also requested an employment contract of three months for Ndlovu from the acting Town Clerk.
“On Monday 11th January 2021, the Finance Director who was acting Town Clerk, also went on sick leave and he assigned the accused person to act as the Town Clerk, during the week.
“On the 12th of January 2021 and in his capacity as the acting Town Clerk, the accused offered Geonor Ndlovu a contract of employment as a general hand without going through the interview and selection process. The contract was effective from the 4th of January 2021 to 31st March 2021.
“The accused person then signed the contract on behalf of Joshua Maligwa, who had already died on the 5th of January 2021 while Geonor Ndlovu signed her contract on the 12th of January 2021,” the State further alleges.
Dr Mutara is one of the reported forty three candidates vying for the vacant Town Clerk post and his arrest is seen as a ploy to eliminate potential candidates as the race for the top post at Civic Centre heats up.
