Garwe challenged to release Gweru report

Residents in the City of Gweru have called on the government to release the findings of an investigation launched earlier this year into allegations of mismanagement and abuse of office by management and councillors in the Midlands capital.

In February 2024, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe appointed an investigation team to probe concerns surrounding the use of Estate Funds and alleged misconduct by Gweru City Council officials. The team, chaired by the ministry's Chief Director of Local Authorities, Khonzani Ncube, also included Deputy Director Edward Njoma, Kudakwashe Chakabva, and Batanai Manwa. The investigation was expected to conclude and report to Garwe within 10 days of its appointment.

According to a memo from the ministry, the investigation was focused on whether Gweru City Council misused Estate Funds to purchase vehicles for council officials in 2024, and whether Mayor Martin Chivhoko converted aerodrome land for personal use. Additionally, the team was tasked with verifying whether the council had implemented recommendations made in the ministry's 2019 land audit and assessing the conditions of the Go Bear deal between the council and its new partners.

The investigation also sought to examine any other issues related to service delivery and governance within the council.

However, several stakeholders in the city, in unsolicited interviews, have expressed growing concerns over the delay in releasing the results of the investigation. Many are questioning whether the outcome of the probe will ever be made public.

Local Government and Public Works Ministry spokesperson Gabriel Masvora responded to these concerns, stating that the ministry had not yet received the report.

"When an investigation is instituted, there are terms of reference, and once the investigation is complete, the appointing authority receives the report for consideration," Masvora explained. "At no point during the investigation will the investigators disclose whom they are interviewing. They just do everything within the stipulated time frame."

As the delay continues, residents and stakeholders are becoming increasingly frustrated, calling on Minister Garwe to make the results public for the sake of transparency and accountability.

Mayor Martin Chivhoko, when approached for comment, declined to respond to questions regarding the ongoing investigation.

The outcome of the probe is expected to have significant implications for the city's governance and public trust in local leadership.