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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
BULAWAYO residents yesterday welcomed the suspension of five local councillors including the deputy mayor councillor Gift Banda on corruption allegations.

They said the country was struggling economically partly due to corrupt public officials who bleed the economy without being accountable.

On Tuesday, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Cde Saviour Kasukuwere suspended Clr Banda and four others Charles Moyo (Ward nine), Mzama Dube (Ward 25), Reuben Matengu (Ward 21) and James Sithole (Ward seven).

Yesterday, Bulawayo United Residents Association chairperson Mr Winos Dube said rate payers were happy that action had at last been taken against allegedly corrupt officials adding that the public deserved accountable leaders.

Mr Dube said the Government should do more to deal with corruption.

“Something has to be done and action should be taken. If we deal with corruption, Zimbabwe can be great again,” said Mr Dube.

Affirmative Action Group vice-president Mr Sam Ncube said the suspension of some city fathers confirms that the concerns they have been raising as an organisation about corruption at the Bulawayo City Council were not misplaced.

“From an organisation point of view there is no smoke without fire. When we were talking about these things people thought we hated some people but we don’t hate anyone. We’re only representing our constituency. We’ve to do things the right way. We need to protect Bulawayo,” he said.

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association coordinator Mr Rodrick Fayayo said the organisation would take a wait and see attitude, but added that the process must not be politicised.

He said authorities should guard against using the processes for political mileage as this  involves a Zanu-PF minister and MDC-T councillors.

“Our thinking is that this is a process. We will wait until they go to the tribunal and the evidence is presented then we can comment. We think that it’s okay that steps are being taken. But we don’t want the processes to be politicised. This is a corruption issue and it should be dealt with on those grounds,” said Mr Fayayo.

Last year the AAG asked Cde Kasukuwere to suspend Clr Banda following his land deals.

The pressure group further alleged that $8,749,914 worth of BCC tenders were tainted by serious irregularities due to massive corruption, nepotism, negligence through collusion of Bulawayo City Council officials.

“For example, a tender for rehabilitation of filter beds and clarifiers to Tzicalle Brothers had been officially awarded to Consolidated Engineers and Merchants (CEM), at a cost of $4,5 million. The previous contractor, that is CEM was paid the money but did no work, only for the same tender to be awarded to Tzicalle Brothers at a cost of $2,5 million. The net effect of this corruption and negligence is that in the last five years Bulawayo water has remained brownish and not safe for consumption,” AAG said.

@nqotshili