Kasukuwere fires Gweru Mayor

LOCAL government minister Saviour Kasukuwere on Thursday fired Gweru mayor, Hamutendi Kombayi, and councillor Kenneth Sithole over gross misconduct and mismanagement of council funds and affairs.

"During the period September 26, 2013 to April 22, 2013 you, in common purpose with fellow councillors at Fairmile Hotel and at the mayor's parlour, caused council to incur irregular and fruitless expenditure by double expending council funds to the tune of $6 907,50 on beverages for several meetings held on the same day," a suspension letter dated November 29 signed by Kasukuwere, read.

The councillors are also accused of working in cahoots to pay the MDC-T's expenses of $1 875 for services provided at Antelope Park, causing council to lose by $1,1 million by irregularly engaging Terror Surveys to undertake a survey of Mkoba 21 stands and irregular trips outside Gweru on non-council business.

Kasukuwere, who is also the Zanu-PF national political commissar, warned that the ruling party is planning an onslaught directed at MDC-T-dominated councils over poor service delivery.

"Frank discussion on urban matters is going to be core in addressing the malaise. It can't be business as usual, the time has come," Kasukuwere said on micro blogging site Twitter then.

"Zanu-PF will now have to start addressing urban challenges head on. Service delivery and incompetence of local authorities concerned."