Staff Writer
Citizens’ Coalition for Change mayor of Chitungwiza, Lovemore Maiko, has been suspended from office for gross misconduct.
Maiko was re-elected as councillor in a June by-election after he was recalled by MDC-Alliance for crossing the divide to the CCC. Then last week, CCC councillors – who dominate the municipality – voted to make Maiko their mayor in a meeting that the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works deemed was illegally constituted.
Kevin Mutimbanyoka has been Acting Mayor of Chitungwiza for a little over a year.
After last Friday’s meeting, which sought to make Maiko the substantive mayor, Local Government Minister July Moyo wrote saying: “In line with Section 114(2) of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15) as amended by the Local Government laws Amendment Act Number 8 of 2016, I have reasonable grounds for suspecting that you Councillor Lovemore Maiko have committed acts of gross misconduct, gross incompetence, and wilful violation of the law as referred in subsection (1)(b) and (e) and hereby suspend you, with immediate effect, from the office of Councillor for Chitungwiza Municipality Ward 7 in terms of Section 3 of the Local Government Laws Amendment Act, Number 8 of 2016.”
The minister said Maiko attended an illegal council meeting, which purported to elect him as mayor of the municipality. Minister Moyo added that Minister Moyo had wilfully disobeyed the law by accepting the mayoral position.
“The above allegations give reasonable grounds to suspect that you are guilty of gross misconduct, gross incompetence, wilful violation of the law,” said the minister “During the period of the said suspension, you shall not conduct any business for or on behalf of Council, within or outside council premises.”
