Godfrey Mtimba
Masvingo—Zanu PF councillors at the Bikita Rural District Council (RDC) have led the rejection of a chief executive officer linked to the campaign to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule beyond 2028.
The campaign, now commonly known as Agenda 2030, is meant to keep Mnangagwa in office beyond his second and final term that ends in 2028.
Even though the ruling party adopted the agenda as its first resolution at its last conference in Bulawayo in October 2024, it has sharply divided Zanu PF, with calls for him to go growing louder of late.
A vocal Mnangagwa loyalist and Local Government minister, Daniel Garwe, had leapfrogged the local authority and imposed Archibald Ncube as the new chief executive to replace Peter Chibi who committed suicide at the onset of an investigation into alleged corruption at the local authority.
But the Bikita RDC, dominated by Zanu PF councillors, boldly shot down the imposition of Ncube by Garwe, marking a significant resistance to central government interference in Zimbabwe’s local authorities.
This defiance has been interpreted as evidence of widening cracks in the ruling party at a time a faction favouring Mnangagwa’s succession by his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, is becoming increasingly vocal against Agenda 2030.
Ironically, Masvingo is considered a Mnangagwa stronghold, together with the Midlands, his home province.
As acting president, Chiwenga used the recent burial of a national hero, Justin Mupamhanga, to berate corrupt individuals and selfish people in a speech that has been interpreted as an indirect jibe at Mnangagwa and his close cronies for holding onto power and amassing illegitimate wealth.
Chiwenga is next in line to take over from Mnangagwa as the second most senior figure in Zanu PF, but a rival party faction is opposing that.
Garwe wrote a letter to the Bikita RDC chairperson, Thomas Mataga, on 2 January, informing him of the new appointment.
“I have approved the appointment of Mr Archibald Ncube with effect from date of appointment (sic) as the substantive chief executive officer for Bikita Rural District Council in terms of Section 66(1) of the Rural District Councils Act Chapter 2913,” read part of the letter.
A defiant Mataga, in a letter dated 21 January 2025, cited central government interference in his rejection of the appointment.
“When interviews were conducted the candidate who scored the highest marks was Arnold Matuke. Council resolved to have him appointed as CEO.
“If council’s resolution would be considered and respected, we will be grateful as Bikita RDC. We are convinced as people on the ground that Mr Matuke Arnold is the man who can lead our district. I am convinced that Arnold Matuke can take the RDC to new heights, hence my objection to the appointment of Archibald Ncube,” Mataga said in his letter.
Bikita RDC councillors on Wednesday held a special full council meeting and made a resolution to cement the rejection of Ncube’s appointment, preferring Matuke, the acting chief executive officer.
All the 42 Bikita RDC councillors went for the urgent special full council meeting where they deliberated on the imposition of Ncube by Garwe, using some US$2,000 towards travel and subsistence.
According to Mataga, the issue was put to a vote and 36 councillors voted to reject the ministerial appointment, against 6 who were in support of the ministerial appointment.
“What we are simply saying is that the employment of employees should be based on merit and, as councillors, we are not going to recognize the appointment of Ncube as the new CEO.
“We don’t know how the ministry came about to select him for the post because, when we submitted our finalists, he was second according to his performance during interviews and Matuke had much higher marks.
“People have the right to appeal and the minister should listen to our concerns. He cannot force someone to work where he is not wanted,” Mataga said in an interview with News Hub after the meeting.
It is rare for Zanu PF councillors to oppose the directives of senior party members and government officials.
Garwe is also the ruling party provincial chairman for Mashonaland East province.
Matuke has acted since March 2024 when Chibi died.
As reported in an investigation commissioned by Information for Development Trust last year, Chibi and another executive had allegedly siphoned thousands of dollars from the RDC using a company that they jointly owned.
Efforts to get a comment from Garwe were fruitless as he did not pick up his phone. He did not respond to text questions.
Local Government ministry spokesperson, Gabriel Masvora, could neither deny nor confirm the developments.
“We are still to get the full facts from Bikita. Therefore, we can’t comment at the moment,” said Masvora.
An apparently dejected Ncube also said he could not comment as the issue was being handled by his principals at the ministry.
“I am not in a position to comment. The issue is in the hands of my principals u can check with them,” Ncube said.
Matuke also declined to comment.
Sections 66 (1) of the Rural District Councils Act gives the minister the power to make the final decision on the appointment of an RDC CEO, though.
“Subject to this section, a council shall appoint a person approved by the minister to be the chief executive officer of the council. Therefore, council simply recommends candidates to the minister of Local Government and Public Works and the minister uses his discretion to appoint a suitable candidate from the submitted candidates based on analysis of the prevailing status of the local authority,” says the RDC Act.
Bikita Residents and Ratepayers Association (BIRRA) spokesperson, Brilliant Mukaro, said Ncube was a “mere political appointee”.
“We are against these political appointments where the minister appoints his cronies along political lines. There should be proper consultations from all stakeholders before rushing to make these decisions and people should be appointed based on merit” Mukaro said.
Zivanai Muzorozi a political analyst and director of a local human rights organization, Community Tolerance and Reconciliation Development (COTRAD), fears that forced appointments and political bickering will stifle provision of quality service delivery in the district.
“The developments in Bikita should be addressed by bringing all the interested parties to the table and they find a common ground.
“As it stands, this political fighting and interference will affect service delivery in the district such as availability of water and maintenance of roads, among others,” he said.
The Zanu PF provincial chairperson, Robson Mavhenyengwa, refuted the accusation of political interference from his party.
“As Zanu PF, we do not interfere in the running of council business. We have nothing to do with council business we let them do their work while we mind our own business,” said Mavhenyengwa.