Local Government minister July Moyo has appointed a four-member tribunal to look into allegations of misconduct against six suspended Chitungwiza Municipality Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillors.
Moyo said Chitungwiza Municipality would bear costs of the inquiry.
The councillors are former mayor Lovemore Maiko, former deputy mayor Musa Makweza, CCC chief whip Richard Chamutsa, Peter Matiringe, Kudakwashe John and Chengetai Nyagondo, who were suspended on October 10 on allegations that they convened an illegal meeting.
During the meeting, Maiko was reinstated as mayor.
The mayoral post fell vacant in March this year when Maiko was recalled by the Douglas Mwonzora-led MDC-T.
Since March efforts to hold elections to replace Maiko hit a brick wall after government, through Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution secretary Tafadzwa Muguti, acting mayor Kiven Mutimbanyoka and more recently a Zanu PF councillor Reginald Mashingaidze approached the High Court to block the move.
On October 7, the CCC councillors defied odds and re-elected Maiko.
They were later arrested for convening an illegal council meeting
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It is the same meeting that led to their suspension by Moyo.
The minister said a tribunal to probe the CCC councillors would be chaired by Advocate Rachael Chibaya.
Other members are Local Government Board member Hamandishe Chinyengetere, Ministry of Local Government’s principal administrative officer Leonard Gopoza, corporate lawyer Hilda Ndawana and the Public Service Commission’s Commissioner Ozious Hove.
“Pursuant to the suspension, in terms of Section 114A of the Local Government Laws Amendment of 2016, I hereby appoint you as member of a tribunal to look into allegations of misconduct levelled against the councillors,” Moyo said in a letter to members of the tribunal.
Few days before the suspension, on October 3, Mashingaidze had challenged the holding of elections arguing that councillors no longer had powers to elect a mayor having failed to do so within a month of the vacancy arising.
