Victoria Falls City Council town clerk Ronnie Dube says he will not resign over corruption allegations levelled against the local authority’s management and councillors.
Dube told VicFallsLive that he will not quit over unproven corruption allegations.
This comes after Victoria Falls mayor Somvelo Dhlamini was arrested early this month on allegations of fraud.
Dhlamini was arrested after war veterans from Matabeleland North and Victoria Falls residents raided the town clerk’s office and force-marched him out demanding that he (Dube) step aside to allow for investigations into allegations of corruption levelled against him to be concluded first.
Residents allege that councillors and Dube sold a piece of land which had been set aside for a water, hygiene and sanitation project, for only US$4 million instead of the US$14 million which was agreed to by a full council meeting.
They further claimed that councillors and Dube shared US$400 000 that was paid as a bribe by the lowest bidder.
But Dube insists he is not going anywhere and will only speak about the allegations after ongoing investigations by various agencies are completed. He said:
I have nothing really to say, but I will not be forced to resign because people have said things and judged me for corruption.
All I can say for now is I am watching the space because all these allegations have prompted various legal instruments to be put in by the central government, the police, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and a ministry of Local Government investigation team.
So let it be, let them come and let’s watch the space.
For all those allegations I will only be able to fully comment after all the investigations have been completed, but on the calibre of councillors, that is not my call.
It is the same people who are complaining that voted for them and the good thing is that we are having elections next year.
So they should start choosing councillors that would stand for their calls.
In November 2021, Hwange magistrate Barbara Phiri dropped charges of criminal abuse of office against Dube after prosecutor Kudzai Mudzamiri made a verbal submission seeking to withdraw the charges before plea citing a lack of evidence.