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Yeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent
The Chitungwiza Municipality has sacked its urban planning services director Mr Conrad Muchesa for a second time.
Mr Muchesa was first fired in December 2016 because his position did not exist on the 2014 organogram, but he was reinstated by the caretaker commission that was appointed by former Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere to run the affairs of Chitungwiza.

Council rescinded the decision made by the commission to reinstate him after it reverted to the 2014 organogram last year.
A full council meeting on Wednesday approved the resolution made by the General Purposes Committee on May 14 to rescind the decision passed by the caretaker commission.

During that special meeting, Councillor Rudo Dzere who raised the motion that was seconded by Clr Phanuel Katewa said Mr Muchesa was not entitled to salaries and benefits accorded to employees on the organogram given that he was retrenched in 2016. Council agreed that the resolution recommending Mr Muchesa’s re-engagement as director of urban planning services without loss of salary and benefits be rescinded.

It also resolved that council should stop paying salaries and benefits to Mr Muchesa since he was retrenched and his position is not on the current approved organogram, hence any resolution of the Caretaker Commission, which is contrary with the foregoing, be rescinded.

Mr Muchesa’s Grade 15 post was abolished on the organogram in 2014, while his duties were transferred to the town planning department, which was superintended by the director of works.

The municipality allowed him to illegally draw salaries and benefits two years after his position was made redundant and as a result he drew over $50 000 from the local authority.

Meanwhile, the municipality is also in the process of seeking legal opinion on the legality of the Caretaker Commission and the resolutions it passed after the lapse of their 90 days in office.