Tinotenda Hove – Tensions at Town House escalated this week after two Harare councillors allegedly stormed into the office of Acting Chamber Secretary Warren Chiwawa, threatening him with death when he refused to approve allowances for a recent trip to Victoria Falls.

According to Chiwawa, councillors Zodiac Duri and Austin Munamba became hostile when he declined to sign off on their request for travel and subsistence allowances related to the COP15 Convention. He insisted the demand was “unprocedural” and in direct violation of a ministerial directive.

“There are two councillors who came to my office in the morning, Councillor Duri and Councillor Munamba, threatening me with death and unspecified action because they were trying to force me to authorise their travel and subsistence allowances,” Chiwawa revealed during a full council meeting.

He told ZiFM Stereo that he stood his ground, explaining: “I said I couldn’t process that because they went there without ministerial approval, so I couldn’t process their allowances in violation of the ministerial directive.”

Chiwawa added that council business should be conducted through proper channels, stressing that councillors “ought to raise such issues through their Chief Whip or the Mayor, not by intimidating officials.”

The two councillors reportedly walked out after the confrontation and later failed to attend the council meeting, fueling suspicions that the threats were part of a coordinated attempt to intimidate the chamber secretary.

Chiwawa said he intends to take the matter further by reporting it to both the police and the Ministry of Local Government.

Duri and Munamba were not immediately available for comment.