Bulawayo Mayor: Mthuli Ncube Must Be Penalised For Unauthorised Road Repairs
Bulawayo Mayor Solomon Mguni has said Professor Mthuli Ncube, a ZANU PF aspiring parliamentary candidate for Cowdray Park Constituency, must be penalised for carrying out road repairs and drilling boreholes without council permission.
He made the remarks during a recent full council meeting in Bulawayo, where councillors expressed their disapproval of Professor Mthuli Ncube’s actions.
The councillors argued that by doing so, Prof Ncube was violating the Roads Act and committing a criminal offence by undertaking works without seeking permission from the council, according to CITE.
They clarified that the public notice circulated recently was directed at the finance minister, warning all aspiring candidates not to embark on road works without authorisation from relevant offices. Deputy Mayor and Ward 1 Cllr Mlandu Ncube said:
We must all know that it is a crime to tamper with public infrastructure. You can’t be seen digging roads and covering them up without clearance. The notice from the Town Clerk that circulated was addressing this very issue.
The councillors demanded an explanation from the engineering committee on what measures it had taken to prevent individuals from carrying out unauthorised works on public property. Ward 12 councillor, Lillian Mlilo said:
I want to find out from the Committee what we are doing to address the situation in Cowdray Park. There is an aspiring candidate who is busy fixing council roads without council permission. As a council we don’t know who gave them permission to drill boreholes and fix those roads.
We never received any form of communication in terms of the legal procedures on fixing roads. Which engineers are they getting information from because those who are authorised to deal with Bulawayo property were never inquired?
The Mayor of Bulawayo, Solomon Mguni, stated that Prof Ncube’s conduct was criminal, and he should be charged for contravening the Roads Act. The councillors emphasised the importance of adhering to legal procedures and consulting qualified engineers when repairing roads to avoid causing more harm than good.
