Victoria Falls City Council Town Clerk Ronnie Dube says his suspension on allegations of corruption and abuse of office is purely based on “appalling fabrications” by internal municipality rivals who have been fighting him for a long time.
Dube has been previously subjected to investigations by former mayor Somveli Dlamini and his council on different corruption allegations, but survived.
Now, Dlamini’s successor Prince Thuso Moyo has also launched his own probe and suspended Dube again.
Commenting on his latest suspension, Dube said: “All I can say for now is the report used to suspend me is not based on facts, it is appallingly fabricated.
“It is sad that public funds are being wasted on investigating appalling fabrications.”
Dube says similar methods were used to suspend and remove him now as in the past, including hiring thugs to physically hound him out of office.
The city’s councillors endorsed the suspension in a full council meeting on 2 December in terms of Section 29: (3) of the Urban Councils Act.
Dube will be on suspension and barred from accessing his office or visiting the council offices for 14 days during investigations, after which a decision will be made on the way forward.
Moyo suspended Dube after a full council meeting, saying he had been bombarded with several allegations of abuse of office and corruption by the town clerk.
“In my capacity as the mayor, I have received several complaints and allegations of abuse of office and corruption against yourself, particular one; It is alleged that you allocated or caused to be allocated stand 9615 to Priscila Thabolo and stand 9945 to Portia Salitsozo without following council procedure.
“It is alleged that you awarded a contract to Cascade Engineering Consultants for overseeing contract management without following the tender procedure, and it is alleged that you sold and transferred stand 1629 Chinotimba and council did not receive payment for the same, and the sale was not procedurally done.
“As a result of the above allegations among others, I hereby suspend you with immediate effect. You are required to leave council offices forthwith. Council will notify you of the way forward,” Moyo said.
Thabolo and Salitsozo are allegedly related to Dube.
The full allegations against Dube are contained in a report and council minutes, which The NewsHawks have obtained.
A council report on Dube’s suspension says:
“His Worship the Mayor informed the meeting that on the 2nd of December 2024, he suspended the Town Clerk, Mr R. Dube after receiving complaints and allegations of abuse of office and corruption against the Town Clerk.
“The suspension was in terms of the Urban Councils Act, Chapter 29:15. There were three allegations levelled against him namely that;
1. He had allocated or caused the allocation of stand 9816 to Priscilla Thabolo and stand 9945 to Portia Saritsozo without following Council procedures. There are allegations that the above two are related to him.
2. He awarded a contract to Cascade Engineering Consultants for overseeing a contract management without following the tender processes
3. He sold and transferred stand 1929 Chinotimba Township and Council did not receive payment for the same and the sale was not procedurally done.
In line with the section 139(3)(b) of the Urban Council’s Act Chapter 29:15, the Mayor was notifying Council of the action he had taken. Council should therefore consider the matter and map the way forward.”
The suspension letter was also copied to other councillors, the district Development Coordinator’s office and the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
Speaking after the full council meeting, Moyo explained:
“The investigations are going on, and the council accepted the suspension, but for now, we stick to that. We have communicated to the Ministry and we will communicate on the resolutions that we made today.”
Dube says he will prove that the allegations are fabricated and false.
Newshawks
