SYDNEY MUBAIWA
GOKWE- Gokwe councillors are up in arms against Acting Town Secretary Engineer Melsen Masukume whom they are accusing of ‘illegally’ suspending the local authority’s administrator, Luwis Taruvinga on allegations of abuse of office.
Councillors who spoke to The Midweek Watch on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals said a meeting was adjourned yesterday after some councillors demanded answers from Masukume on why he dismissed Taruvinga without consulting them.
Taruvinga was suspended without pay pending investigations over allegations of having employed an unqualified graduate trainee.
“We are extremely worried about this development. He was supposed to call a meeting so that we all know what transpired. We demand answers from him. What we are saying as councillors is that we cannot continue with these in-house fights while service delivery is collapsing.
“We are supposed to be leading urban lifestyles, but we are no different from the people living in the villages because there is nothing to show for it,” he said.
He said Masukume was also flaunting council businesses and must be investigated for criminal abuse of duty.
“Masukume in a display of disregard for proper procedure, unilaterally allocated space to Econet for construction of three base stations.
“This decision was also made without consulting the Planning Department, which is responsible for site selection for such projects.
“By flauting the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act, Masukume not only acted in a criminal manner but also violated a moratorium issued by Central Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, he must also be investigated,” he added.
Another councillor said the Acting Secretary has a number of misconduct with irregular employment of a Housing Clerk, allegedly his relative.
“Despite two members of the interviewing panel rejecting the candidate, Masukume forced the hiring process through, demonstrating a blatant abuse of power .
“This nepotistic behaviour also undermines the integrity of the council and raises ethical questions about decision making process within the local authority,” he said.
“Masukume was not supposed to rush into suspending Taruvinga because he has also his own shortfalls.
“The Acting Town Secretary’s misconduct extends to the engagement of attachment students, where he has been accused of directing the Central Administration Department to hire his relatives without the involvement of relevant Heads of Department. This practice circumvents the established Attachment Student Engagement Policy, which requires consultation with departmental heads.
“By forcing them to sign engagement forms, Masukume showed a complete disregard for the proper hiring process, further eroding trust in the council’s governance,” he added.
Another inside source said the most egregious instance of Masukume’s abuse of office occurred during the hiring of a Survey and Geometry Graduate Trainee. Reports indicate that Masukume allegedly met with one of the candidates the night before the interviews, demonstrating a clear conflict of interest.
“Despite not being a panelist, he attended the interviews and allegedly influenced the selection process. Unsurprisingly, the candidate he met the night before emerged as the top choice for the position, raising serious questions about the integrity of the recruitment process.
“His actions reflect a disturbing pattern of criminal abuse of office, characterized by nepotism, disregard for established protocols, and a blatant lack of accountability,” she said.
Gokwe residents are increasingly alarmed by these revelations, calling for urgent investigations into Masukume’s conduct and demanding accountability from the council.
According to Joseph Mhangani, Gokwe Residents Association chairman, “We reported the cases long back to the police CID department and ZACC. What is saddening is that the cases have not been acted upon… as residents we feel justice is being delayed and denied for us”.
