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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
THE Minister of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development, Cde Ignatius Chombo has suspended three Gweru City Council councillors who are facing allegations of abuse of office.

Albert Chirau, Moses Marecha and Kenneth Sithole were suspended with immediate effect as the ministry investigates the allegations they are facing.

“Following allegations of abuse of office and council property levelled against you, I with immediate effect suspend you from being a councillor – according to Section 114 (1) Chapter 9:15 of the Urban Councils Act. I will send a team to investigate you as soon as possible and you will be advised accordingly,” reads a letter signed by the minister and directed to the trio.

The suspension letter dated May 21 was also copied to Mayor Clr Hamutendi Kombayi and the town clerk Daniel Matawu.

Clr Sithole confirmed receiving the suspension letter. He said he would respect the ministry’s decision not to report for work until the matter has been finalised.

Clr Chirau and Marecha have been under fire from council employees who have been calling for their ouster from the local authority for allegedly selling pit sand and gravel in Senga suburb to a public contractor and pocketing the money.

Clr Chirau also has a pending court case for allegedly leasing a council club house in his ward and pocketing the rentals.

On the other hand, Clr Sithole also has a pending court case after he was arrested for assaulting a council employee following a dispute over the late payment of workers salaries by the local authority.

Simbarashe Lebo, a council driver, was assaulted after he asked the councillor why the municipality was failing to pay its workers on time.