Bindura Town Clerk’s contract extension bid blocked

9 Sep 2020

Staff Reporter
Bindura Municipality Town Clerk Shangwa Mavesera’s bid to extend his office tenure beyond retirement age foiled yesterday after councilors voted against it.

According to the council’s town clerk services conditions, on reaching 60 years, he should retire.
However, it goes further to say the retirement age can be extended to 65 years. It also allows one to retire at 55.
Mavesera will celebrate 60 years on 27 September.

Mavesera on Tuesday convened a special full council meeting to consult the councilors if he could apply for his office tenure expansion.
Eight out of 12 councilors voted against it saying he should go and rest, look after his family and himself.
Mayor Cllr Carlos Tokyo said they could not entertain Mavesera’s contract extension due to his age.
“We just agreed that we want new blood and somebody younger.
“Also the council’s constitution states that at 60 years, the Town Clerk must retire though he can extend his retirement age to 65, due to his health condition we saw it fit for him to retire when he reaches 60 at the end of this month,” he said.
Mavesera wanted his contract extended by 12 months to 31 December 2021.

“It’s not that l do not want to leave office but, I have some projects that l was working on that will go a long way in serving local ratepayers.
“One of them includes the construction of the Masembura water pipeline to the municipality’s water pump. This is a deal I managed to strike personally using my links with Freda Rebecca Gold Mine and Bindura Nickel Mine who are funding it. The deal is yet to be formalized between the council and the two corporates,” Mavesera said.
“I will respect their decision and always avail myself when they need me.”
Shangwa Mavesera joined Bindura Municipality in 2011.

He will be remembered for bringing sanity to Bindura from the time he joined the local authority from the City of Gweru.
The WASH situation in Bindura in 2011 was dire and people had lost hope with the local authority.
Sewer flowed all over residential areas mainly in Chipadze. The sewer system was disused both the network and the ponds were no longer in use but, all is now in order. Rehabilitation of the sewer system is now in order except for one 300 meter trunk line whose pipes are there awaiting the main hole rings.