Victoria Falls Town Clerk suspension sparks division

The recent suspension of Victoria Falls Town Clerk, Mr. Ronnie Dube, has caused a significant rift within the city, resulting in growing tensions both within the local council and among residents. The controversy surrounding his suspension, initiated earlier this month, has sparked widespread divisions, further escalating after some councillors boycotted a full council meeting on Tuesday, preventing it from reaching quorum.

The full council meeting, which was scheduled to address the suspension of Mr. Dube among other issues, was disrupted when only five councillors attended, forcing the meeting to be postponed. The meeting is now set for Thursday. The situation has caused frustration within the local government and the community, as the suspension has become a highly charged political issue.

On December 2, 2024, Victoria Falls Mayor, Councillor Prince Thuso Moyo, issued a letter notifying Mr. Dube of his suspension, citing multiple allegations of corruption and abuse of office. The mayor highlighted complaints regarding the illegal allocation of land and other abuses of office as the reasons for Mr. Dube's suspension, as provided under Section 29(3) of the Urban Councils Act.

The suspension was endorsed by councillors during a full council meeting the following day. However, the decision was met with strong resistance from the Local Government and Public Works Minister, Daniel Garwe, who intervened by directing the councillors to rescind their resolution. Minister Garwe described the suspension as unprocedural and unsupported by policy, urging that it be overturned. Despite this directive, councillors gathered last week and voted to stand by their decision, leading to further tension between the council and the minister.

Sources close to the council have suggested that some councillors deliberately abstained from attending the meeting on Tuesday to prevent a quorum and defy the ministerial directive. The city of Victoria Falls has 11 elected councillors and three proportional representation councillors, but the absence of several members on Tuesday made it impossible to conduct official business.

Residents of Victoria Falls have also become involved in the dispute. Last week, a meeting was convened under the civic consortium, including the Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association (Vifacora) and Hwange District Residents Association (HWADRA). During the meeting, residents expressed strong opposition to the potential reversal of the Town Clerk's suspension and threatened to take action against councillors if they complied with the Government's directive.

The residents' meeting concluded with a resolution that councillors should not participate in any future meetings to reverse the suspension. They also called for Minister Garwe to visit Victoria Falls in order to engage directly with the community on the matter. Although plans for a demonstration at the Victoria Falls City Council offices were made, they were ultimately unsuccessful.

The ongoing saga has deepened divisions within Victoria Falls, with local government officials, residents, and the central government at odds over how to handle the suspension of the Town Clerk. As the dispute continues, it remains unclear how the situation will be resolved, but all eyes will be on the rescheduled full council meeting on Thursday.