Three Kwekwe councillors suspended

Three Kwekwe councillors suspended

Mako Jerera

Three Kwekwe City Councillors have been suspended pending investigations into allegations of gross misconduct, incompetence and wilful violation of the law.

Councillors Makomborero Mlambo (ward 8), Former Mayor Councillor Angeline Kasipo (ward 10) and Melody Chingarande (ward 5) were suspended with immediate effect for allegedly tempering with the current approved budget.

During a recent full council meeting, the suspended councillors caused a a stir as they turned around to argue that the approved budget was too high for the rate payers, demanding that council sway the implementation process.

In his signed letter, Minister July Moyo accused the three Councillors of acting unlawfully and he immediately suspended them in terms of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15) as amended by the Local Government Laws Amendment Act number 8 of 2016.
“You supported the proposal to review the 2023 approved budget and the secondment of the illegal resultant resolution passed on 27 January 2023 of reviewing an approved budget even though you were advised by the Chamber Secretary, Mr Athenas Chidzurira about the illegality,” wrote Minister Moyo.

He said this was in violation of the Public Finance Management Act (Chapter 22:19) and the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15).
“The law is very clear on the procedures of supplementing a budget after it has been approved. A supplementary budget has to undergo the same process as the approved budget in terms of Section 288(5) of the Urban Councils Act,” said Minister Moyo.

Councillor Mlambo, one of the only two ZANU PF Councillors in Kwekwe City Council also faces charges of insulting his fellow party counterpart , after he called him a dog during a full council meeting. Mlambo, said Minister Moyo, is fast becoming a habitual offender, lacking appropriate decorum befitting of the public office bearer he is, with a tendency of insulting other Councillors during meetings and debates while labelling them thieves and fools.

The three suspended Councillors were given seven days to respond to the allegations. Meanwhile, Minister Moyo said due to their actions the local authority risks becoming ungovernable while operating illegally without a budget.