-post re-advertised third time
MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU – The local government board has directed the Gweru City Council (GCC) to re-advertise the vacant position of the Town Clerk after the three candidates initially forwarded to the local government board, including the acting TC Livingston Churu, failed to meet the requirements for the role.
In a letter dated March 20, the board stated that none of the three candidates submitted met the necessary qualifications for the Town Clerk position.
It says they regret to inform council that “the post of the Town Clerk of Gweru needs to be re-advertised because the forwarded candidates did not meet the required criteria for this post”.
Impeccable sources told The Midweek Watch that the three candidates had failed to pass the security vetting processes.
The re-advertisement of the post has now attracted interest from other town clerks from other local authorities, as well as directors at the city of progress, who are reportedly lobbying big chefs for the position before it is advertised.
This is not the first time the GCC Town Clerk position has been re-advertised.
In 2023, the local authority placed an advertisement in newspapers inviting candidates to apply for the post, but the interviews did not take place after council was ordered to re-advertise it again 2024.
The position was left vacant after the dismissal of Elizabeth Gwatipedza in 2019, leading to a series of acting Town Clerks since then.
After Gwatipedza’s dismissal, the GCC appointed former Chamber Secretary Vakai Douglas Chikwekwe as the Acting Town Clerk.
Chikwekwe later resigned, alleging persecution and victimization by the then-serving councilors.
Before his resignation, Chikwekwe had been suspended following his arrest by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for allegedly violating tender procedures.
Chikwekwe’s criminal abuse of office matter was ultimately withdrawn when he appeared before a Gweru provincial magistrate.
He was then replaced by the city’s Finance Director, Livingston Churu, who has been acting in the role since then.
Gweru Mayor Cllr Martin Chivhoko said the issue will follow the internal processes, which include reporting to the relevant committees.
