A PROBE team set up by then Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo to investigate cases of alleged corruption and abuse of funds at Gweru City Council (GCC) has reportedly demanded all senior council officials to submit their academic and professional qualifications for scrutiny.
By Stephen Chadenga
Last week, Chombo summoned Gweru councillors, management and workers’ representatives to his offices in Harare where he indicated that the probe team would investigate several issues at the local authority including managers’ qualifications to establish if they hold requisite skills for the posts they occupy.
“The probe team has taken to task senior officials at management level questioning their qualifications against the posts they occupy at Town House,” a senior council official who declined to be named said.
“They are saying certain positions should go in line with particular qualifications of which this is not the case in some cases.”
The commission of inquiry was expected to finish its work this week before tabling its findings.
Both Gweru mayor Hamutendi Kombayi and town clerk Daniel Matawu were not available for comment yesterday as they were said to be busy “entertaining the commission of inquiry.”
Workers’ committee spokesperson Cornelia Selipiwe said Chombo had made it clear that there were anomalies in the positions occupied by some senior officials.
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“He (Chombo) said educational qualifications of officials at management level should be scrutinised to see if they are in line with the posts they occupy,” Selipiwe said.
Among other things the team was investigating various trips involving councillors and management to establish if they were of any benefit to the financially-troubled local authority.
The team has also been tasked to investigate the alleged abuse of office and council property by three suspended MDC-T councillors – namely Albert Chirau (Ward 11), Kenneth Sithole (Ward 4) and Moses Marecha (Ward 5).
