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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
VICTORIA Falls councillors have given Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube five days to respond to issues raised in a report compiled by a Government probe team that was commissioned to investigate allegations of corruption within the city.
The ultimatum elapses tomorrow.

This comes as residents have said they are getting impatient over delays by the city’s councillors to implement recommendations of the report.

Last year, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works set up an investigation team in terms of the Urban Councils Act following allegations of corruption levelled against Mr Dube by Mayor, Councillor Somvelo Dlamini and the Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association (Vifacora).

Some of the allegations include unprocedural allocation of land, leasing of council brewery, sale of stand number 8300, incompetence and failure to supervise staff.

Local Government and Public Works Deputy Minister Marian Chombo presented a report to council early last month and recommended that councillors deliberate on it for a way forward.

The report had 25 issues that needed to be deliberated on by councillors to decide on the way forward.
Among the issues raised by the team were the need for council to have a housing policy and other policies to avoid exposing the local authority to manipulation and corruption.

The report noted that Mr Dube must be held accountable and culpable for writing to Jackelberry Investments, an investor, informing them that they had a 15-year lease which was being processed by council when there was no such resolution, and for allocating Chinotimba Brewery to Jackelberry without a council resolution.

The team recommended that Mr Dube be held accountable for not having work plans in council and presenting matters in full council without first presenting to committees.

Council was also implored to make use of council committees and management to give correct information to councillors and stakeholders to avoid misinformation.

There was a recommendation to have work plans and standard operating procedures in place for every year.
The report also noted with concern leakage of classified information from council to ordinary residents.

Councillors sat last Friday to deliberate on the raised issues and gave Mr Dube five days until tomorrow, to respond after which a decision will be made.

Mr Dube said he will respond to the issues before the expiry of the ultimatum tomorrow.

“I am going to respond within the prescribed timelines and wait for council to deliberate. However, what is key is that those findings are by the Ministry and not by council and I will not be answerable to a third party,” he said.

No corruption charges have been preferred on Mr Dube or any council officials following the findings.
Clr Dlamini said council processes are not yet complete and a full council report will only be available once councillors sit and deliberate on the issues, some of which are directed at the institution, councillors and management.

“Yes he was given five days which end on Friday to respond and then council will make a decision. There will be a tribunal that will be set to conduct a hearing if the deliberations point to that and then we can comment on the issue,” said Clr Dlamini.

Under pressure from residents, Vifacora has lined up a series of meetings.

A meeting was held at Chinotimba Hall on Tuesday evening while another was expected yesterday evening at Chamabondo Primary School before another one this evening in Mfelandawonye.
Speaking at the poorly attended meeting on Tuesday, residents complained about rampant corruption.

Some called for the removal of councillors whom they said were not representing the interests of the electorate while others said management should be held accountable for corruption.

Vifacora chairperson Mr Kelvin Moyo urged residents to be patient until all processes are completed.

“Where we stand now there hasn’t been feedback from council on the report. Two council meetings have been held and the issue was not tabled. All we hear is that the Town Clerk was given five working days to respond and that ends on Friday. So we are only going to talk once there is a response from him and ask you to be patient for now,” he said.
Some residents said the Town Clerk should be suspended from work.

They said the city’s finance director should be summoned to explain contentious billing system within council where some residents received bills of up to US$100 starting last month.

Mr Trymore Ndolo, a resident leader from Chinotimba alleged that some councillors were involved in corruption and residents association had put some measures to guard against manipulation of evidence. -@ncubeleon