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Knives out for Killer Zivhu

by Innocent Ruwende
17 Aug 2016 at 08:19hrs | Views
A senior official at the Association of Rural District Councils Zimbabwe is allegedly using his political muscle to block businessman and philanthropist Dr Killer Zivhu from assuming the presidency of the association after he called for reforms at the institution and blocked the payment of a golden handshake to a senior employee.

Some few councillors and rural district council chairpersons are believed to have been promised various amounts if they manage to block Dr Zivhu who was tipped to assume the organisations' presidency unopposed at ARDCZ elections tomorrow.

Sources close to the organisation said Dr Zivhu stopped the association from paying a golden handshake to a senior employee who had demanded that the financially hamstrung organisation pay him a $500 000 exit package.

"(Dr) Zivhu is on the record as telling councils that it is impossible to pay such an obscene amount when most RDCs were failing to construct Blair toilets and even renovate council buildings. The senior employee is conniving with a Government minister who has interests in councils, which he fears Zivhu would also block.

"The minister will do whatever it takes for his friend to take over. He is also supporting the official who is demanding $7 200 a month until the association manages to pay him the hefty package whether he reports for work or not," said the source.

The source said Dr Zivhu told RDCs that they could not afford such an amount, which came up to $9 000 with other benefits when RDC chief executives were earning around $1 500 and were even failing to pay salaries and provide basic services.

The source added that the plotters are attempting to stop Dr Zivhu from assuming power on the basis that he was once convicted and served four years when in actual fact Dr Zivhu served only three months in prison and was released on appeal after which he avoided the public eye.

"This is one of the various weapons they have against Dr Zivhu, but surprisingly he was cleared by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and is about to finish his term as councillor and chairperson of Chivi Rural District Council."

Dr Zivhu has fronted various philanthropic works in the country and has transformed Chivi Rural District Council and several chairpersons are backing him to succeed Mr Guy Mutasa uncontested saying he would inject fresh ideas in councils.

Asked for comment, Dr Zivhu said: "It is up to the people to judge me by my past or my present. The decision of the majority is final."

Dr Zivhu refused to comment further saying he was busy organising an Open Market event to be held in Harare where industry, small to medium enterprises, traders, retailers and lobby group Buy Zimbabwe would converge together with cross-border traders.

Source - the herald