20 September 2016
The
Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Saviour
Kasukuwere earlier today suspended five councillors in Bulawayo for corruption. Minister
Kasukuwere announced the suspension of Deputy Mayor Gift Banda (ward 5), and
Councillors James Sithole (ward 7), Charles Moyo (ward 9), Reuben Matengu
(ward 21) and Mzamo Dube (ward 25) as he released a damning report on the
investigation into corruption in Bulawayo that was conducted by the Ministry of
Local Government in May this year. The
suspended councillors are set to appear before an independent tribunal.
Speaking
at a special meeting at Bulawayo Council chambers, Minister Kasukuwere, said the
investigation had confirmed that councillors were abusing their positions to
corruptly accumulate wealth. Minister Kasukuwere also revealed that five
councillors, Mayor Martin Moyo (ward 3), Lot Siziba (ward 13), Cecilia Mlalazi
(ward 18), Ephraim Ncube (ward 17) and Monica Lubimbi (ward 29) were not implicated
in the corruption while the other 19 councillors had explaining to do. Damningly,
Kasukuwere revealed that not only had councillors accessed stands, but they had
not bothered to pay for the stands and owed the Bulawayo City Council over half
a million dollars. The report also revealed gross irregularities in tender processes
which have prejudiced the City of Bulawayo of huge amounts of money.
The
Ministry of Local Government deployed a team to investigate allegations of
irregularities in allocation of tenders and stands in Bulawayo after the
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) raised concerns in April 2016.
BPRA had written to the Ministry of Local Government, Parliament and the
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister after unearthing information that two
councillors had acquired tracts of land worth $300 000. Further investigations
by BPRA had shown that numerous councillors had taken possession of various
properties ranging from domestic stands to car parks, commercial stands, crèches,
social clubs, public toilets and others. A team from BPRA submitted its
concerns to the investigating team on 6 May 2016.
Regards
Information
Department
Bulawayo Progressive
Residents Association
Bus.
Tel: +263 9 61196
Cell:
+263 773 788 183
