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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

NKAYI Rural District Council (RDC) councillors have resolved to suspend the local authority’s chief executive officer Mr Zimbabwe Ndlovu, who is facing charges of abusing council funds.

At a meeting held at the local authority’s offices recently, the councillors resolved that Nkayi District Development Coordinator (DDC) Mrs Matilda Muhaso act as CEO until the matter is finalised.

The councillors also resolved to set up a committee to investigate allegations levelled against Ndlovu and another one to conduct a hearing on the matter. 

This was after councillors concurred that Ndlovu who was arrested recently, allegedly committed numerous offences around abuse of council funds, office and property as well as constantly having squabbles with the DDC’s office.

They accused Ndlovu of diverting some quarry stones meant to rehabilitate roads at Nkayi Growth Point to his house, abusing Devolution Funds allocated to the local authority by Government, withholding councillors’ allowances, squandering royalties from sale of timber amounting to more than USD$50 000, abusing council vehicle and tractor which he allegedly used to carry quarry stones to his house.

He is also alleged to have secretly extended the contract of an auctioneer Mr Ananias Ncube by five years from one agreed to by the council and also of improperly handling a case involving council treasurer Mr Lawrence Mudimba whom he suspended for alleged misconduct last year.

Ndlovu recently appeared before Nkayi Magistrate Mr Talent Phiri.

He was not asked to plead but was granted  $3 000 bail following an application by his lawyer Ms Linah Nyamukachi.

Ndlovu will be back in court on March 16.

Councillors convened an emergency special meeting at the local authority’s boardroom  recently where 28 out of the 30 councillors attended and resolved to suspend Ndlovu.

Ward 10 Councillor Lot Fuzane who is the council chairperson moved the motion to have Ndlovu suspended and was backed by the other councillors. – @ncubeleon.