Residents of Victoria Falls have vowed to prevent Town Clerk Ronnie Dube from returning to office, despite Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe’s decision to overturn Dube’s suspension by Mayor Prince Tuso Moyo.
Moyo had suspended Dube over allegations of corruption related to land deals and contracts, but Garwe nullified the suspension.
Speaking at Chinotimba Hall, where hundreds of residents, including war veterans and members of the Hwange Residents Association, had gathered, Kelvin Moyo, chairperson of the Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association, insisted that Dube should remain suspended until the investigations into the allegations are concluded. Said Moyo (via VicFallsLive):
The reason why we were here was to give the residents feedback that they had initially asked us to write to the mayor to say he should suspend the Town Clerk Ronnie Dube on the allegations.
People have resolved, after receiving feedback, that the letter written by the minister regarding the rescinding of their decision should be set aside. This letter was a resolution.
The section raised by the minister can only be invoked when he is protecting the interests of the residents. However, in this case, the interests of the residents are well known to us.
The residents themselves have stated that it is the right decision to suspend the Town Clerk in order to pave the way for the investigation.
The residents resolved to stage a peaceful demonstration to prevent Dube from returning to work until investigations into his alleged misconduct were completed. They plan to march to the council offices to physically block his entry.
Garwe’s decision to nullify Dube’s suspension was based on Section 139(4) of the Urban Councils Act, which grants the minister the authority to intervene in council decisions.
However, Moyo contends that this provision does not apply in this case, arguing that the minister is not acting in the best interests of the residents.
The controversy surrounding Dube’s suspension adds to a growing list of allegations of corruption and mismanagement at the Victoria Falls City Council.
Dube has refrained from commenting on the accusations since his suspension last week.
This is not the first time Dube has faced such allegations; he was suspended in 2021 over similar issues but was later reinstated.
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