The suspension of the Mudzi Rural District Council chairperson by the Government was done in accordance with the law and a proper investigation, the Ministry said yesterday.

The Government was reacting with concern to reports in some sections of the media purporting interference by the Ministry in the operations of Mudzi Rural District Council. It said it would not compromise on insisting that councils meet expected service delivery levels.

The Local Government Ministry suspended Mudzi Rural District Council chairperson Arnold Katsande after unearthing serious governance and maladministration practices at the local authority.

"The Ministry wishes to advise the nation that the suspension of the council chairperson Katsande was not done arbitrarily, but followed due process in line with section 157 of the Rural District Councils Act, as amended by the Local Government Laws Amendment Act, 2016. Further, his suspension followed the submission of a report by an investigation committee, appointed by the Honourable Minister of Local Government and Public Works, that unearthed serious governance and maladministration practices at the local authority,".

"It is important to note that at the core of the call to action: no compromise to the service delivery blueprint, is the need for local authorities to strengthen internal governance systems which are critical in supporting expected service delivery levels that are in line with an upper middle-income status. Hence, investigative inquiries of this nature are meant to assist in addressing deficiencies that would have been uncovered," reads the statement.