By Anna Chibamu
GOVERNMENT has moved to suspend Zvimba Rural District chairperson Peter Hlohla over a slew of allegations bordering on corruption and abuse of office as the anti-corruption dragnet spreads across the country.
In a letter that NewZimbabwe.com has in its possession and dated July 5th, council chairperson Tsitsi Kaja said Hlohla would be suspended without pay.
“This minute serves to inform you that at its 7th special council meeting held today, it was resolved that you be suspended from work with immediate effect (5 July 2019) pending a hearing to be conducted on a date and at a time to be notified,” Kaja said.
She listed a number of allegations that have been preferred against Hlohla who will now have to wait for a disciplinary hearing before he knows his fate.
“It is alleged that you Mr Peter Hlohla, allocated Mr J Yotamu stand number 493 which he discounted on the basis that Mr Yotamu was a ministry official yet he is a farmer and a politician,” the letter said.
Hlohla is also accused of failure to process cession agreements upon change of ownership for numerous stands in Haydon Farm in the RDC.
Zvimba Rural District Council also reportedly at Hlohla’s instigation engaged a company to install a biometric access control system without going to tender.
“It is also alleged that council paid huge money and there is no benefit realised from the system,” said Kaja.
Under Hlohla’s leadership Zvimba Rural District Council reportedly bought 15 bulls from Matopos Research Station but these have not been delivered although no dates are provided in the letter.
Local Government Minister July Moyo last month reportedly deployed a six member team to investigate reports of maladministration at the rural council and a meeting to discuss Hlohla’s fate had been slated for early this week.
