Chombo elbows out Chitungwiza mayor

Chombo elbows out Chitungwiza mayor

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By Lebo Nkatazo

ZANU PF has taken the control of Chitungwiza Municipality following the appointment of a ruling party functionary to take charge of the affairs of the municipality.

Local Government Minister, Ignatius Chombo, said Monday that MDC mayor, Misheck Shoko, had failed to run the affairs of the politically volatile town as evidenced by the collapsing service delivery system.

The minister imposed on the council Chitungwiza's District Administrator Godfrey Tanyanyiwa, a known Zanu PF supporter whom he said would be reporting directly to him.

Shoko will keep on reporting for duty, but if he fails to co-operate with the minister or Tanyanyiwa, he would be fired.

“This is meant to bring back sanity,” Chombo said.

The takeover of Chitungwiza follows a 24 hour deadline the mayor was issued with by the minister “to come up with a turn around strategy".

Last week, Zanu PF supporters set the stage for the take-over after barring the mayor and all officials from entering council premises.

Chombo visited Chitungwiza a day later and issued the ultimatum.

Shoko is on record as saying the problems faced by Chitungwiza are beyond the control of his council as they their solutions lie with the government putting its house in order.

He singled out the non-collection of refuse which is being caused by fuel shortages which have crippled service delivery countrywide.

Over the years Chombo has replaced MDC-led councils with people loyal to the ruling party.

Opposition officials complain that in cases where councils fail to deliver or councilors are corrupt, he has not taken action if they belong to Zanu PF.

In Chinhoyi which is under the control of Zanu PF, council officials have been arrested before on allegations of flouting tender procedures but the minister has never issued a public statement on the issue.
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