SYDNEY MUBAIWA
GOKWE- Following numerous newspaper reports on crumbling service delivery, corruption allegations and abuse of public funds at Gokwe Town Council, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe has ordered the local authority’s Acting Town Secretary Engineer Melsen Masukume to leave office with immediate effect.
In a letter in possession of The Midweek Watch dated November 20,2025 and directed to the Gokwe Town Council Chairperson Councillor Licious Mutegwe, Minister said the development was made due to serious concerns regarding maladministration and poor governance during Masukume’s tenure.
“Pursuit to adverse reports and observations vis a vis the conduct of Eng Masukume on discharging duties as the Acting Town Secretary. I hereby, in terms of Section 313 and 314 of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15 ) direct council to immediately relieve the incumbent of his duties as Acting Town Secretary for Gokwe Town Council.
“This decision has been made due to serious concerns regarding maladministration and poor governance during the whole tenure of his acting resulting in severe costs while service delivery crumbled.
“Despite efforts to address these issues, inclusive of the directive given to council to protect public funds and foster service delivery, there has been notable failures to implement necessary changes and maintain the standards expected of his position. Specific instances of maladministration have compromised the effective functioning of the office and eroded trust in the governance architecture,” reads part of the letter.
Garwe said going forward, an interim replacement should be urgently done from the available substantive Heads of Department conversant with public administration to assume the responsibilities of the Acting Secretary until a permanent appointment is made.
Gokwe Town Council is currently embroiled in controversy, revealing a troubling pattern of inconsistency in how the local authority addresses vehicle accidents and employee accountability with residents now tired of the poor quality of life they are enduring in the Midlands province’s sprawling town where service delivery is almost non existent.
Recent incidents involving the mishandling of municipal vehicles, particularly a damaged Chevrolet and a Toyota Hilux, have raised serious concerns about fairness and governance within the local authority.
In early 2024, a Chevrolet vehicle was involved in an accident in Bulawayo, and a year later, its whereabouts remain shrouded in mystery. This glaring lack of transparency has fueled public outrage, with residents demanding accountability from the local leadership.
Residents who spoke to The Midweek Watch on condition of anonymity for fear of being victimised thanked Minister Garwe for coming to their rescue as poor service delivery and endemic corruption has seen a high turnover of senior staff whose corruption cases have featured prominently in headlines in previous years.
“We are very happy with this development. Service delivery here in Gokwe is just painfully poor and we cannot continue like that.
“What worries us the most is that we continue to hear about issues of high -profile corruption involving top council officials. Latest reports indicate that the local authority is engulfed in scandalous activities- abuse of office and corruption by the Acting Town Secretary Engineer Melsen Masukume,” said the source who prayed for anonymity.
He said Masukume has been at the center of all decay and corruption within the local authority.
Early last year, a Chevrolet vehicle was involved in an accident in Bulawayo, and one year later, its whereabouts remains a mystery.
“Council protocols clearly dictate that a Board of Inquiry should be convened whenever an employee is involved in an accident; however, no such inquiry was initiated in this case. This negligence stands in stark contrast to the treatment of internal auditor Manasseh Mhlolo, who faced an unfair dismissal over a trivial cost of US$80 incurred from another vehicle accident,” he added.
He said following Masukume’s involvement in the earlier accident with the Toyota Hilux, no Board of Inquiry was set up. Furthermore, the results of any council discussions regarding the damaged Chevrolet and the repaired Hilux were never shared with stakeholders.
“This lack of communication has led many to speculate that the findings were deliberately concealed, deepening perceptions of mismanagement and unfairness within the council.
“The Chevrolet Trailblazer accident, which occurred while being driven by Eng. Masukume, exemplifies these issues. According to the council’s Transport Policy, a Board of Inquiry should have been constituted, yet the matter was simply swept under the carpet. Adding to the controversy, Masukume awarded the tender to repair the damaged vehicle to a questionable Bulawayo-based panel beater, a clear violation of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, which mandates that such matters be handled by the Procurement Management Unit. This has led residents to suspect that Masukume’s decisions are motivated more by personal gain than by the best interests of the council or its constituents,” fumed the resident.
He said Mhlolo’s case resulted in the council spending over US$15,000 on a disciplinary hearing committee, comprised of members drawn from councils hundreds of kilometers away with critics arguing that such exorbitant expenditures divert essential funds from community services, further exacerbating the council’s failures in delivering basic services to residents.
He said recently the local authority also lost thousands of United States dollars in a disciplinary hearing of its Administrator Luwis Taruvinga as panelists were drawn from as far as Chitungwiza and Zvishavane.
He said the wreckage of the Chevrolet has been returned to Gokwe Town Council stores without any repairs being conducted, raising further questions about the council’s financial management.
“The damaged vehicle incurred storage costs at a privately owned garage in Bulawayo, a burden that will ultimately fall on taxpayers.
“A broken down tipper went for service in Bulawayo last year and upto now it hasn’t been fixed and the Engineer is always pocketing travelling substance to and from Bulawayo, bleeding the local authority’s financial situation.
” This financial strain, combined with the council’s inability to provide adequate services, underscores significant issues of governance and fiscal responsibility.
This hypocrisy could not go unnoticed, as residents question how the council can justify its actions or lack thereof. The stark contrast in treatment raises serious concerns about the council’s commitment to fair governance and its prioritization of service delivery.
As Gokwe Town Council grapples with these pressing issues, the community is left wondering how officials will rectify these discrepancies and restore public trust.
The call for transparency and fairness has never been more urgent, and the pressure is mounting for the council to address its internal inconsistencies.
The Gokwe residents are demanding accountability, and it remains to be seen whether the council will rise to the occasion or continue to turn a blind eye to serious matters that impact the community.
A Local Government ministry investigation last year made several recommendations to arrest graft but nothing has changed at the local authority.
