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Midlands Bureau Chief
GWERU City Council has turned the vacant Mayoral mansion into an isolation centre for its workers who test positive to Covid-19.

The Mayoral mansion is in the Kopje low-density suburb and has been vacant for more than 10 years.

The decision has set council on a collision course with residents who insist they should have been consulted first.

At least 15 council employees including four nurses have tested positive to the deadly virus.

Workers whose homes meet the required World Health Organisation standards for self- isolation have been in self-isolation at their homes while those whose premises fall short of requirements would be taken to the mayoral mansion.

Three of the nurses who tested positive work at Mkoba 1 Clinic and the fourth one is from Senga Clinic. They were in contact with known Covid- 19 patients and are said to be recovering well.

In an interview yesterday, the council’s public relations and communications officer Ms Vimbai Chingwaramusee said the local authority is in the process of testing all workers for Covid- 19.

“Covid-19 has affected our workers and some of the employees that have tested positive for the pandemic are failing to find suitable places for self-isolation. Council has since renovated the Mayoral mansion so that it can accommodate these employees,” she said.

Gweru United Residents and Rate Payers Development Association Trust executive director Mr Trust Chikore said they were worried about the development coming after council failed to consult them on the move to turn the Mayoral mansion into an isolation centre.

“They converted the Mayoral mansion for the benefit of their workers but they didn’t consult us as the residents. Kopje is a busy area and we are worried as a community. They must have identified a place away from the residents,” he said.