NORTON – The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has descended on nearly all Norton town councillors and management for allegedly conniving to sell to themselves, some residential stands for as little as ZWL$30 per square mitre.
Norton comprises 13 council wards with 12 of them in the hands of opposition councillors who were all netted by the anti-graft body.
The lone Zanu PF councillor was sparred the trouble.
The councillors and the local authority’s top management were all set to appear in court this Friday facing criminal abuse of office charges.
ZimLive could not readily access the exact details of their charges although a source privy to the situation said the councillors were arrested after they passed a 2019 resolution giving themselves the green light to buy the stands for a song.
“The councillors passed a resolution in 2019 to buy stands for $30 per square mitre. They have been charged with criminal abuse of office,” said the source.
The figure was still ridiculous even by Zimbabwe’s 2019 currency rate standards.
The councillors were all arrested on Monday but were released into the custody of their lawyer.
There were unconfirmed reports Thursday that Local Government Minister July Moyo has moved to suspend them following the charges.
The representatives have reportedly not yet been individually served with their suspension letters which were said to have been delivered to council offices late Thursday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, two Norton councillors confirmed they were being investigated for the alleged offences.
“We have not received any communication over suspension as of today (Thursday) but we were called yesterday for questioning,” he said.
Minister Moyo could not readily be contacted to confirm if indeed he has suspended the representatives.
The Norton Town Council comprises 13 councillors of whom 10 were elected in 2018 under the MDC Alliance banner while two are independent.
They are Councillors Nyarumbu (Ward 13), Tachiona (Ward 12 – Independent), Tapera (Ward 10), Chinoera (Ward 9), Zinyemba (Ward 8), Chililo (Ward 7 – Independent), Mufahore (Ward 6), Mutatabikwa ((Ward 5), Mazarura (Ward 4), Munyeveri (Ward 3), Gumisirai (Ward 2) and Dube (Ward 1).
The 13th councilor is Zanu PF’s Mafusire who has been spared the trouble after he was said not to have been part of the full council meeting that allegedly connived to grab the stands.