By Harry Taruva.
Gweru Acting Town Clerk Vakayi Chikwekwe has been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC) on charges of Criminal abuse of duty as defined in Section 174(1)(a) of the Criminal Law ( Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23) or in the alternative c/s Section 94 (3) of the Public Procurement and Disposal (Regulations)S.I.5 of 2018.
Chikwekwe appeared before Magistrate Mirriam Banda and was granted ZWL$100 000.00 bail, with set conditions.
According to the state outline the Complainant is the State represented by Tapwa Hove a male adult currently employed by the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabve as a Legal Manager.
3. The accused person’s duties as the Accounting Officer for City of Gwenu among others include responsibility for ensuring that procurement activities of a procuring entity are carried out in compliance with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act [Chapter 22:235) and any other directions of the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe,
4. Sometime in 2020, Gweru City Council wanted to develop and service Mkoba 21 stands and as such on 29 May 2020, Gweru City Council advertised an invitation of expression of Interest in the Zimbabwean Government Gazettee for tender number COG/01/06/2020
5. Eight prospective bidders submitted their applications and on 30 June 2020 the Technical Evaluation Committee recommended that Sheasham Investments, Casas Properties and Wackdrive Pvt Ltd be shortlisted as they were compliant with the mandatory requirements.
6. On 03 July 2020, the Procurement Management Unit Committee which was chaired by the accused as the Acting Town Clerk approved the recommendation made by the Technical Evaluation Committee. Further the Procurement Management Unit Committee recommended that the tender be submitted to the Special Procurement Oversight Committee..
7. The accused as the Accounting Officer submitted the tender documents to the
Procurement Oversight Committee for review on the 29 of July 2020
8. The accused was supposed to obtain clearance from the Special Procurement Oversight Committee with regards to the documents he had submitted on the 29th of July 2020 for review.
11. Accused person acted inconsistent or contrary to his duties as Accounting Officer for City of Gweru by awarding contracts for the servicing of Mkoba 21 stands to Sheasham Investments, Casas Properties and Wackdrive (Pvt) Ltd without clearance from the Special Procurement Oversight Committee thereby showing favour to the three land developers and disfavour to the other companies who bids for the servicing of Mkoba 21 stands.
12. Accused acted unlawfully.
This is not the first time Chikwekwe has been accused of corruption at the City of Gweru. Kwedu News is in possession of a letter written by former Gweru Town Clerk, Elizabeth Gwatipedza intending to suspend Chikwekwe who was then only Chamber Secretary in 2019 on allegations of abusing the Council’s fuel facility among other things.
Part of the letter reads:
“You are hereby suspended from duty with effect from 27 August 2019…for alleged contravention of the Labor (National Employment Code of Conduct if 2006…you committed serious misconduct from 2 April 2017 to 19th July 2019….in the following..
“Charge 1(4d ) Theft or fraud in that you deliberately and intentionally withdrew fuel in excess of your weekly allocation ”
According to the suspension letter from Gwatipedza, Chikwekwe had 8 corruption charges and 84 counts from the first charge.
Kwedu News can reveal that as then Town Clerk Gwatipedza was preparing more charges against Chikwekwe, the accused allegedly teamed up with the then Mayor, Josiah Makombe, to dismiss Gwatipedza from the post of Town Clerk.
It also emerged that council later resolved in very strange and unclear circumstances to order Chikwekwe to replace the stolen fuel instead of suspending him.
After dismissing Gwatipedza, Chikwekwe was controversially allowed to be appointed acting Town Clerk, a post he has held until his arrest this week.
PLEASE NOTE
The audio below is a whistle blower insight into some of the alleged corrupt practices taking place at Gweru City Council especially in the Procurement department .
MORE BREAKING NEWS COMING SOON
..
Kwedu Classics has prepared a documentary and an exposee of the rot and total collapse of service delivery in the City of Gweru.
This damning exposee and documentary will be released soon.
KWEDU CLASSICS.
YOUR STORY OUR STORY