ZANU PF councillors in the Gwanda Town Council last Tuesday agreed to draft a letter supporting Priscilla Nkala as the preferred candidate for the position of town clerk despite minutes of interviews showing that Thuso Maphala topped the list.
ALBERT NCUBE OWN CORRESPONDENT
In what is viewed as a last ditch attempt to land Nkala the high-paying post despite her coming a distant fourth in interviews, sources said Zanu PF councillors tasked the mayor, human resources officer and the acting town clerk to draft a letter to the Local Government Board explaining why they preferred Nkala for the job.
The interview panel comprised Bulawayo provincial administrator Khonzani Ncube as chairperson, Bulawayo town clerk Middleton Nyoni, Insiza district administrator Sithandile Ncube and Plumtree town secretary Davis Luthe.
“The town needs an astute local government administrator who can extricate it from its current quagmire and this recommendation would mean Gwanda is doomed.
“There are fears that Nkala is being preferred so that she covers up a plethora of scandals in council as accounts have not been audited for some time now,” a council source said.
Gwanda is currently reeling under a financial crisis that has resulted in the town failing to pay workers for the past four months.
Mayor Knowledge Ndlovu is on record justifying council’s decision to back Nkala using gender equity as a reason.
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Minutes of the interviews held in April were reportedly circulated among councillors with a recommendation by the interviewing panel identifying Maphala as the most suitable candidate for the position left vacant after the retirement of the long-serving Gilbert Mlilo.
The minutes together with the accompanying note supporting Nkala were set to be sent to the board soon for a final decision to be made on the next town clerk.
Nkala is not new to controversy and was appointed into her current position as chamber secretary after the intervention of Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo.
