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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
VICTORIA Falls City councillors are divided over the suspension of town clerk Ronnie Dube, with some calling for revocation of the suspension which they said is vague.

Councillors resolved to constitute a five-member commission of inquiry comprising three former councillors Vusumuzi Moyo, Million Moyo and Alderman Nkosilathi Jiyane who is the city’s former mayor, Hwange Rural District Council chief executive Mr Phindile Ncube and lawyer Mr Elvis Mashindi.

The commission’s terms of reference will be to determine whether there are merits on the allegations levelled against Dube and the inquiry will focus on the period from his appointment in 2014 to date of suspension on May 24, 2021.

The commission is expected to present findings five days after day of instruction and the council will pay costs related to the inquiry.

According to a council report from a full council meeting held on June 1 spilling over to June 2, councillors were divided on Dube’s suspension.

Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Somveli Dlamini suspended Dube on April 28, accusing him of corruption, gross incompetence, abuse of office and causing the local authority to lose revenue.

The suspension was without pay and benefits.

Councillors revoked the suspension before Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo suspended Dube on May 14, after he (Dube) had appeared in court facing a charge of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.

Dube is out on $50 000 bail.

Clr Dlamini was yet to formally apprise the council on the suspension which he did on June 2 when he presented Dube’s suspension letter dated May 24.

According to the report, Clr Dlamini told council that the suspension was done in terms of the Urban Councils Act.

The mayor said the suspension followed a verbal instruction from Minister Moyo on May 13, in line with a Press statement released on January 7, on corruption in local authorities which stated that senior Government officials who are attending court cases as accused persons should be suspended from work to pave way for investigations.

Deliberating during the meeting, some councillors felt that the suspension issue was beyond council jurisdiction hence the local authority cannot provide conditions of suspension because Dube was verbally suspended by the minister and not by the council.

Councillors sought clarity from the mayor on the conditions of suspension and proposed that a commission of inquiry be set to investigate.

“A member noted that the council is not sure of the allegations levelled against the town clerk and proposed that the town clerk should go on forced leave and continue being paid salary and benefits until the case is finalised,” read part of the report.

“Another member was of the view that the mayor should withdraw suspension given to the Town Clerk to allow council to debate on the possibility of forced leave so that the town clerk continues to receive his salary and benefits while investigations are being done.”

A human resources official told the meeting that Dube’s suspension was based on the Urban Councils Act Section 139 (5) which does not allow for payment of salary and benefits during suspension but only an appropriate allowance that council can fix.

The official advised that council could adopt the suspension without pay in terms of the Urban Councils Act or adopt it with pay in terms of Statutory Instrument (SI) 15/2006.

The Urban Councils Act provides that the suspension could be six months long while using the SI would mean an inquiry on the alleged misconduct be done within 14 days and the council to act based on the outcome.

Councillors noted that in terms of labour laws the suspension cannot be indefinite.

They expressed concern on the terms of reference for the commission of inquiry which they said were vague and Clr Dlamini told the house that they were “deliberately done that way based on advice from head office,” according to the report.

The mayor told the house that “all business relating to his (Dube’s) inquiry shall be treated in confidence and all the findings shall only be communicated to the mayor of Victoria Falls,” reads the report.

The full council resolved that Mr Dube’s suspension be premised on the SI 15 of 2006 so he can be paid allowances.

Clr Dlamini confirmed the report yesterday and said the commission had started work. — @ncubeleon