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My only sin is I’m neither Nambya nor Tonga, says Victoria Falls town clerk

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BY TINASHE KAIRIZA

LOCAL Government and Public Works minister July Moyo has instituted an investigation into corruption allegations that led to the suspension of Victoria Falls Town Clerk Ronnie Dube, to ascertain the veracity of the claims.

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The six-member probe team, which is being led by Harare Metropolitan province Local Governance director Cathrine Kampila has cast light on tribal dynamics rocking Victoria Falls as Dube claims that he was victimised because he is neither “Tonga nor Nambya”.

Moyo’s initiated probe seeks to test the veracity of allegations levelled against Dube, which include the sale of a stand at a cost of US$4,3 million although it was tendered for US$5,8 million by the highest bidder. This could have potentially prejudiced the resort city of US$1,5 million.

Dube was suspended on September 8 by Victoria Falls Mayor Somveli Dhlamini, after which he was served with the charge sheet that shows the allocation of a brewery stand to Jackleberry Investments without council authority and expropriating US$84 000 from the local authority’s account.

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Dhlamini was also arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) on October 6, 2022, for allegedly acquiring a residential stand illegally.

In a letter dated September 29, 2022, and seen by the Independent, Moyo appointed Kampila to lead the investigating team, assigning her to “validate all issues and allegations raised in the letter of the Town Clerk’s suspension and other related matters.

“I refer to the attached letter from the Mayor of Victoria Falls, suspending the Town Clerk and copied to me. Subsequent to the request therein to cause an investigation into the matter and the provisions of the Urban Councils Act, I appoint you as the chairperson of the investigations committee. Note that this is a serious matter…I trust you shall execute your task diligently,” Moyo wrote to Kampila.

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Moyo’s letter to Kampila was also furnished to a number of government bureaucrats including Matebeleland North Provincial Affairs minister Richard Moyo and Local Government and Public Works secretary Zvinechimwe Churu.

The Kampila-led committee will review the charges levelled against Dube, which resulted in his suspension.

The investigating team, as learnt by the Independent, flew to the resort destination last week to commence its work.

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In a letter outlining the charges and seen by the Independent, Dube is accused of abuse of office.

The Town Clerk is also accused of unprocedurally allocating the resort area’s dumpsite to Green Life Africa in partnership with Mosia Tunya Waste and Landfill Private Limited.

“On February 25, 2021, you unilaterally allocated the council dumpsite to Green Life Africa in partnership with Mosia Tunya Waste and Landfill Pvt Limited without a council resolution. In your letter dated 25 February 2021, you stated that management had no authority to lease the said dump site/landfill or sewerage pond area.

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You acted outside the scope of your mandate by usurping council powers,” Dhlamini wrote to Dube.

Dube, as the charge sheet shows, is also accused of “theft of trust property” with allegations stating that he illegally transferred US$84 000 from the Victoria Falls City bank account.

The embattled Town Clerk is also accused of “incompetence, dereliction of duty and failure to supervise staff”.

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Dube was also accused of “misleading” council to sell stand number 8300 in a transaction that potentially prejudiced the local authority.

Responding to the allegations, Dube denied any wrongdoing to the Independent, suggesting that he was being victimised by top officials because of his ethnic background.

“My only sin is that I am neither Nambya nor Tonga and this has compromised my effectiveness as some political heavyweights are fronting a tribal agenda,” he said.

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After receiving the charge sheet, Dube, sought counsel from his lawyers, who wrote to Dhlamini indicating that the Mayor’s actions were meant to settle personal scores against their client.

“On a separate note, our client is rather concerned at what appears to be a continued unwarranted attack on his person by yourself. He may be forgiven to think that you have a personal vendetta against him.

“For instance, it is common knowledge that you previously caused his suspension from work. Again, he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the court of law which found him not guilty and acquitted him, Ncube and Partners Legal Practitioners wrote to Dhlamini, in a letter that was also copied to Moyo.

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Dhlamini had not responded to questions posed by this publication. The investigation by the Local Government and Public Works ministry comes three months after the Independent reported that Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe’s top tourism drawcard and world spectacle, was at the centre of a legal dispute pitting environmentalists and two firms planning to build on restricted zones marked by Unesco as a world heritage site. – Zimbabwe Independent

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National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

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Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

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ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

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ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

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BY STAFF REPORTER 

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

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Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

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Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.

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Retailers send Mnangagwa SOS as shops continue shutting down over operational woes

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BY ZIMLIVE

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and save the sector which has seen various formal retail and wholesale businesses closing shop countrywide due to operational challenges.

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In a statement on Sunday, CZR president Denford Mutashu said the continued closure of formal retail and wholesale businesses is a direct consequence of the tough economic environment that has consistently failed to support formalised sector players who face stiff competition from informal businesses and vendors the majority of whom have no tax obligations to deal with.

Mutashu said his association was concerned that authorities continue to downplay the crisis.

“The recent closure of several outlets under the N. Richards Group, coupled with Spar Zimbabwe’s painful decision to shut down Queensdale Spar, Choppies Zimbabwe’s exit from the market, and Mahommed Mussa’s significant reduction of shop space by 60%, highlights the growing crisis.

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“As the representative association for these and other brands, CZR is alarmed that while formal businesses face enormous challenges, the authorities continue to present a different picture of the operating environment,” he said.

Given the situation, Mutashu said, only President Mnangagwa can rescue the troubled sector.

“CZR therefore calls for urgent intervention from His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, to rescue what remains of the formalized retail and wholesale sector,” said Mutashu.

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He said the sector was in urgent need of rescue.

“While CZR acknowledges the continued support from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, it is clear that the root causes of these challenges are fiscal and monetary in nature. These require urgent and decisive action to ensure the survival of formal businesses.

“CZR therefore appeals to the Presidium to prioritize interventions aimed at saving jobs and mitigating the ongoing wave of shop closures and retrenchments,” he said.

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