Probe into Bulawayo Town Clerk suspension begins

A FIVE-member technical team tasked by Government to investigate developments leading to the suspension of Bulawayo Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube commenced work in the city yesterday.  

The Government on Wednesday deployed a team to investigate circumstances leading to the suspension of Mr Dube.  

The five, comprising senior officials including directors in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, arrived in Bulawayo on Thursday from Harare.

Their deployment was triggered by Mr Dube's alleged unprocedural suspension by Deputy Mayor Councillor Tinashe Kambarami who was supported by Clr Silas Chigora to violently remove the Town Clerk from his office.

Yesterday, the Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs, Judith Ncube, confirmed that the probe team was in the city and had commenced its investigation.

"These are officers from the Ministry of Local Government who are very senior. They have started their investigations. I cannot name them individually but there are five of them who hold positions of directors among other senior officers. It's an in house investigation by the parent Ministry. After the officials have completed their investigations, whatever outcome will be made public. After that maybe that's when residents of Bulawayo will be engaged on the next step forward," said Ncube.

Acting BCC Chamber Secretary and council legal officer Mrs Stekiwa Mugiya said the investigating team would conduct interviews with concerned parties.  

"They arrived yesterday from Harare and they started work in earnest today. They will be working throughout the weekend. They have lined up interviews and I think by the end of tomorrow they would have finished their interviews. They will obviously interview the parties who were involved; the Town Clerk, the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor etc. So far that is what they have told me. The guys who were appearing in that video — the human resources manager, the senior security officer and the Chamber Secretary Mrs (Sikhangele) Zhou will also be interviewed ," said Mrs Mugiya.

She said they would also interview Bulawayo stakeholders who include residents associations among other interested parties.

Mrs Mugiya said the stakeholders would be interviewed so that they give an independent opinion on the fracas and alleged corruption at council. In a letter to councillors on Wednesday, Mrs Zhou told them to co-operate with the investigating team.