The Minister of Local Government Public Works and National Housing July Moyo has appointed a seven-member commission to assess Plumtree town council`s bid for municipal status.
The commission will be chaired by former Bulawayo City Council Town Clerk Moffat Njeleza Ndlovu and consists of Herbert Karuma (Engineer), Morgan Hungwe (Deputy Director – Urban), Magret Mazani (Spatial Planner), Pretty Mpofu (Financial Advisor), Hilda Ndawana (Legal Officer) and Richmore Chimanga who is the commission secretary.
In a notice, the Town Secretary Davies Dumezweni Luthe said the commission was appointed to assess the town`s preparedness for the municipal status.
“Pursuant to the application for Municipal status by Plumtree Town Council, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing has, in terms of section 14(3)(a) of the Urban Councils Act [Chapter 29:15] appointed the Commission specified in the schedule to assess the Plumtree Town Council`s state of readiness for Municipal status,” read the notice.
Luthe added that interested people who “wish to make representations to lodge such representations with the Chairperson of the Commission, Plumtree Town Council on or before 5th of August 2019”.
Contacted for further clarification Luthe said this was the beginning of a long process in the municipal status application process.
“This is an ongoing process whereby we first submitted our application to the Ministry of Justice Legal and Parliamentary affairs, thereafter we advertise three times in a local paper,” said Luthe.
“The commission then comes to assess if we are prepared and capable of being a municipal council.”
If granted, Plumtree Town will become the third municipal in Matabeleland South after Gwanda and Beitbridge.
Beitbridge attained its municipal status in 2018 and is already working on attaining city status.
Gwanda Municipality is also eyeing attaining city status by 2023, with a number of infrastructure development projects already lined up.
