Furore over Mutare ex-mayor exit package

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Mutare city councillors have demanded to see the directive Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo issued to give former acting mayor George Jerison a mayoral Mercedes Benz as part of his exit package.

Mutare city councillors have demanded to see the directive Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo issued to give former acting mayor George Jerison a mayoral Mercedes Benz as part of his exit package.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

Jerison, who took over from the fired Brian James, walked away with a top-of-the range Mercedes Benz as part of his package. He failed to make it in the MDC-T primary elections last year, thwarting his bid to retain the top post.

In a full council meeting held last week, some councillors said they wanted to see the directive that made the cash-strapped council part with its only mayoral Benz.

“As councillors, we want to see the directive that instructed council to give Jerison the benz as his exit package. We were never furnished with such and we want it so that we really know that he was given [the car] by the minister,” said councillor Kudakwashe Chisango.

Councillor Blessing Tandi added that the minister should have put the directive in writing for the purposes of having it on record. Councillor Chrispen Dube said although he was not fully opposed to the move of giving Jerison the golden handshake, he said councillors should have been appraised.

He also challenged management to clearly differentiate the official mayoral vehicle as Jerison was using another Toyota Land Cruiser which was inherited by the current mayor Tatenda Nhamarare.

Town clerk Obert Muzawazi said the written directive would not be a problem to secure. He said initially the minister had instructed them to give Jerison the Land Cruiser before they pleaded with him to reconsider as it was the only vehicle available for use by Nhamarare.