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Cde Kasukuwere

Tawanda Mangoma in CHIREDZI
Chiredzi West Member of the National Assembly Cde Darlington Chiwa has cautioned the team of investigators that was deployed to further look into corruption allegations levelled against Chiredzi Town Council last year not to be used in settling political agendas.

In an interview with The Herald after a three-hour meeting at Town House, Cde Chiwa blamed Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere for failing to act after he was served with a detailed report about corruption allegations levelled by residents against council last year. Cde Chiwa said it was now surprising how Minister Kasukuwere had started responding to corruption allegations which he received last year.

He said instead of the investigating team giving them feedback on the “grey areas” which the ministry was looking at during the three-hour meeting, they indicated they were undertaking fresh investigations.

Last year, Chiredzi residents approached Minister Kasukuwere to investigate the eight councillors, seven of them from Zanu-PF and one from MDC-T accused of allocating themselves 40 stands each. “It’s a surprise that the minister has deployed the very same team (of investigators) for fresh corruption investigations against council after disappearing for a year without giving us feedback on their preliminary findings,” said Cde Chiwa.

“Government has failed us. I told the investigators not to be used to settle cheap political issues which are happening at the top. The minister was supposed to pass a verdict on Chiredzi Town Council last year, but he decided to sit on the report and only to realise the importance of this issue at this hour.”

Cde Chiwa said it was clear that Minister Kasukuwere failed to handle the case, hence the residents’ decision to solve their own problems.