GASABO - The Advisory Council of Gasabo District Thursday sacked the district vice mayor in charge of social welfare following a bizarre incident involving a Cabinet minister.

Andre Bizimana was relieved of his duties by 23 of the 24 councillors for having allegedly looked down upon the State Minister for Social Welfare, Christine Nyatanyi.

The cause for his dismissal mainly hinges on his alleged conduct in front of Nyatanyi on Wednesday during the latter’s routine district visits to assess development programmes on the ground.

According to a reliable witness, trouble came after the minister sought to know why Bizimana normally delayed to forward updated reports on social welfare projects to her office.

"In response, Bizimana, instead of giving a direct answer to the question, defiantly started checking through his phone as he told the minister that he is normally a busy man,” the source said yesterday on condition of anonymity.

The source went on say that the seemingly shocked minister asked Bizimana to put down the phone and answer her question. He put it down, but immediately picked it again right in front of the minister.

"He adamantly again started checking through the phone, and as if that was not enough, he told the minister that he had another urgent meeting to attend at Kigali City Council offices so she had better make her case fast,” the source claimed.

It is at that point that Nyatanyi asked him to go and attend his meeting if he was unwilling to expes said that the incident was only part of the former vice mayor’s political woes.

"Generally, his wanting performance record had earned him a bad working relationship with the other members of the district Executive Committee,” a source said in reference to Mayor Claudine Nyinawagaga and Vice Mayor (Finance and Economic Development), Paul Jabo.

This newspaper also learned that the meeting that Bizimana was rushing to attend when he allegedly banged the door concerned today’s Kwita Izina function during which twenty baby gorillas will be named.

However, when contacted yesterday, Bizimana declined to comment on the matter claiming he was in a meeting. "Can you call me later?” he requested. He could not answer cell phone when we tried to reach him again.

Nonetheless, the minister reportedly continued her visit touring Kabuga Sector where she witnessed fruits of some community projects, in company of some district leaders including Jabo.

It is said that later on the same day (June 18), the district Advisory Council met in an extraordinary meeting with Bizimana’s conduct the only item on the agenda.

Asked who asked the councillors to meet over the issue, Gakwerere said: "The leadership of the district did so and we were equally unhappy with his behaviour.” It also emerged that Bizimana himself wrote a resignation letter following the incident.

"We came to know about his resignation request from the Executive Committee, but as councillors, we still thought he could not continue to be part of us (the Advisory Council),” explained Gakwerere.

Members of district Executive Committee – composed of the mayor and both vice mayors – are also part of the 28-member Advisory Council.

According to the law, Bizimana – who had held that position since 2006 – is due to be replaced within 90 days.

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