BINGA Rural District Council chief executive officer, Joshua Muzamba, has reportedly been staying in a lodge since his appointment in 2012, draining thousands of dollars from the already cash-strapped local authority.
BY SILAS NKALA
Kabuba Ward 17 councillor, Themba Munkombwe (MDC-T), claimed that when Muzamba was employed as council boss in 2012, he stayed at Stand Stone Lodge and later moved to another one close to Rest Camp, where council is forking out $800 every month in rentals.
“Since 2012 up to now, the CEO stays in a lodge with council paying the bills. The documentation to that effect has been hidden,” the councillor claimed.
“The conduct of the CEO when discharging his duties is very unfair and partisan since he is a central committee member of Zanu PF. He is furthering the interests of a political party instead of focusing on development.”
Munkombwe said the CEO allocated himself stands adjacent to Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority offices and Kulizwe Lodge without councillors’ consent.
He also accused Muzamba of failing to implement council resolutions that were not in his favour.
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Muzamba declined to comment yesterday, referring all questions to council chairperson, Dube Munkombwe.
“I am just a council employee, I cannot comment on those issues, you better call council chairman,” Muzamba said.
Contacted for comment, the council chairman yesterday accused his namesake of breaching council procedures, by taking the matter to the Press before exhausting internal remedies.
“The council is renting a house for the CEO. It’s not a lodge, but a house which is owned by the late Nkululeko Sibanda,” Dube said.
“Munkombwe is not being honest by claiming the house is a lodge. We, as council, lost a case against the former late CEO Shadreck Mudimba, whom we failed to pay some benefits and his family has remained in the council house to date.”
Dube said when they hired the new CEO, they had no option but to rent a house for him.
“Munkombwe should have moved a motion at a council meeting that he is not happy about council renting a house for the CEO and we would see if the rest of the councillors support his motion,” he said.
“It’s the duty of council to accommodate the CEO and if they feel it’s not right then the council has to give him that $800 so that he finds accommodation on his own.”
Binga has 23 MDC-T and two Zanu PF councillors.
