Gibson Hwende

Service / Career

2018 – elected to Ward 1 Chiredzi Town Council with 501 votes, beating Siyapela Zinanka of Zanu-PF with 106 votes. ^[1]
2018 - Chair, Chiredzi Town Council.
2020 - SHE practitioner, Tongaat Hulett.

Events

In a Face book post, November 2018, Gibson Hwende claimed to have refused a new car and opted for a bicycle, arguing resources should be channelled towards ensuring service delivery. “Our infrastructure needs serious attention and we are working against a constrained budget hence the need to put every cent to good use. I need to leave a legacy when my term is over. People should be able remember me as a leader who brought meaningful development to our town,” ^[2]

At a ceremony in April 2019, to hand over donated medical equipment and repairs, it is reported that assistant town engineer, Irvine Muteyaunga initially refused to disclose the name of the donor, leading to a “heated exchange”.

Donations included an ambulance, 30 wheelchairs, three 5 000-litre water tanks, blood pressure testing machines, beds and various other items to Chiredzi Town Council-run polyclinic, from MDC alliance’s losing candidate for Chiredzi West, while United Kingdom-based John Manganye also helped with the refurbishment of the structures, including repainting of the polyclinic,

Council chairperson Gibson Hwende said it was unfortunate that Muteyaunga didn’t give the name because he Muteyaunga didn’t know that the minister helped in the clearing of the ambulance at the border post. “I don’t know his motive because this is not a political gathering. The minister played a part for the ambulance to be cleared without paying duty. So he is fully aware who donated everything here. ^[3]

It is alleged in a leaked CIO report, prepared 16 August 2019, MDC leaders in Chiredzi were planning to host a heavily armed insurgence team from South Africa to destabilize the district. The report named six MDC members including Chiredzi Town Council Chairman Gibson Hwende, former MP for Zaka West Festus Dumbu and Chiredzi MDC District Chairperson James Kampota as potential threats. Their homes were identified for surveillance. ^[4]

An engineer has been appointed, in January 2020, to help Chiredzi Town Council resolve its perennial water challenges. This was revealed at a United Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers’ Association (Uchirra) meeting, by Council chairperson Gibson Hwende. He has been appointed by Local Government minister July Moyo. The meeting was organised after some parts of the town went for over four months without running water. MP Farai Musikavanhu attended the stakeholders’ meeting, and said he was deeply concerned about the water crisis. ^[5]

A meeting, called by Chiredzi Town Council in January 2020, failed to satisfy residents on council operations, nor fully address concerns on tender processes which are allegedly being flouted. $6,5 million had been received from government as devolution funds, to be used to address the water situation in the town. Hwende did not give the actual figures of the money received as he continued to say $6,5 million to $6,6 million and also admitted that a transformer had already been bought, but failed to explain how that happened without going to tender.

The transformer was for the waterworks, connected to the Hippo Valley Estates power line to ensure continuous water pumping and supply. Hippo Valley Estates is generating its own power and is contributing over 15 megawatts to the national grid. ^[6]