A commission of inquiry set by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works to investigate claims of corruption against Victoria Falls City Town Clerk Ronnie Dube has presented its findings after concluding the probe.
The contents of the report are however still under wraps and will only be released after council debates on them in a full council meeting.
Minister July Moyo set up the probe team after allegations raised by mayor Somvelo Dlamini and the residents association raised corruption allegations against Dube.
Dube and Dlamini have in the past few years been at each other’s throats on counter-accusations of corruption.
Dube was once arrested more than two years ago and acquitted by the courts and Dlamini is currently on bail pending trial following his arrest last October.
Dlamini had invited a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission investigating team to Victoria Falls to investigate Dube and instead he was arrested after the team bumped into irregularities involving him.
The Local Government Minister set up a team of investigators which presented the findings in a closed-door meeting to the Victoria Falls Council on Wednesday.
Local Government deputy minister Marrian Chombo presented the report but said its contents will only be made public after it is debated by a full council.
Some of the allegations against Dube as raised by Dlamini and Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association are that Dube allocated pieces of land without following council procedure, unproceduraly leased the council brewery and obtained a car loan from the council.
Coming out of the meeting, Dube and Dlamini said the findings cannot be shared with the public at this stage until councillors deliberate on them.
“Their role was to present a report to the council to go through and the deputy Minister presented the report of the findings to council. These findings are yet to be deliberated on by council which will sit in due course,” he said.
Dlamini commended the probe team.
“I would like to thank the Ministry for playing a supervisory role on councils. The team came today and presented a report after a committee of inquiry was set by the Minister to come and investigate the Town Clerk.
“They came up with 25 recommendations which the council will deliberate on. The President is clear on the fight against corruption as we move towards Vision 2030 and as a local authority we cannot fold our hands when public funds and infrastructure are being abused,” said Dlamini.
