Wairoa mayoral candidate and recently dismissed senior manager Simon Mutonhori. Photo / Supplied
A former Wairoa District Council senior manager has revealed he's a candidate for mayor
- despite being sacked from council just over a week ago.
Simon Mutonhori, who has worked in local government planning and management since emigrating from Zimbabwe 20 years ago, told Hawke's Bay Today he was disclosing the situation because voters needed to know that the council had recently dismissed one of its senior managers.
He was embroiled in an employment dispute after his recent dismissal from his job of two years.
He says he wants to be mayor, and the public have the right to know everything there is to know about their candidates.
For the record, Mutonhori is "officially" 52 – there being no original record of his birth "in the bush", from which he emerged to complete agricultural studies at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare and attain a Masters in Environmental Management in Norway. He also studied at Lincoln College in Canterbury after he arrived in New Zealand.
He is one of five Wairoa mayoralty candidates declared as nominations closed at noon today. Incumbent Craig Little is seeking a fourth term, challenged by Mutonhori, Murray Olsen, Benita Cairns and Jennifer Takuta-Moses.
Mutonhori was dismissed from the position of group manager – planning and regulatory services on August 3, in a letter from council chief executive Kitea Tipuna outlining employment disciplinary procedure matters since April 27, which were said to have resulted in a loss of trust in the employee.
It included an allegation that Mutonhori had not carried out the requirements of his role, placing at risk the council's accreditation with standards and performance monitor International Accreditation New Zealand, and that he had inappropriately emailed elected members and the mayor in a manner designed to undermine the disciplinary process.
Council chief executive Kitea Tipuna, officially Mutonhori's employer on behalf of the council, said: "Due to privacy obligations, Council cannot comment on any confidential employment-related matters."
Hawke's Bay Today also approached the Electoral Commission and Local Government New Zealand for comment but neither was aware of the circumstances nor able to comment, other than agreeing it was a rare circumstance with probably no grounds for barring Mutonhori for standing for the mayoralty.
Wairoa also has elections for its three-seat council wards, with seven standing in the General Ward and six in the Māori Ward, while former Napier City councillor Api Tapine is one of two in the Hawke's Bay Regional Council Wairoa constituency race.
There also a multiple race in for the Tararua District Council mayoralty, where incumbent Tracey Collis is being challenged by three others, with a late rush meaning 20 will stand for the nine council seats, including three for the single seat in the new Māori ward.
There will be a three-way contest for the Napier mayoralty, with incumbent Kirsten Wise challenged by Cr Nigel Simpson and late nominee John Smith.
No mayoral elections are necessary in Hastings and Central Hawke's Bay, where incumbents Alex Walker and Sandra Hazelhurst respectively were the only nominees. In Hastings, here was a late rush on council nominations, particularly in the new Takitimu Māori Ward with seven vying for the three positions.
Nominations, with number of vacancies in brackets:
Central Hawke's Bay
Mayor (1): Alex Walker
Aramoana-Ruahine (4): Tim Aitken, Jerry Greer, Brent Muggeridge., Kate Taylor.
Ruataniwha(4): Kelly Annand, Pip Burne, Kaye Harrison, Gerard Minehan, Exham Wichman.
Hastings District Council :
Hastings (Aug 10, 10.27am):
Mayor (1): Sandra Hazlehurst.
Mohaka (1): Tania Kerr
Heretaunga (2): Alwyn Corban, Ann Redstone
Hastings-Havelock North (7): Sayeed Ahmed, Alex Cameron, Malcolm Dixon, Michael Fowler, Damon Harvey, Rizwaana (Riz) Latiff, Gilly Lawrence, Eileen Lawson, Simon Nixon, Melanie Petrowski, Kim Priest, Rion Roben, Wendy Schollum, Kevin Watkins.
Flaxmere (1): Victoria Fuata'i, Henry Heke, Mike Ngahuka, Marcelle Raheke.
Kahuranaki (1): Marcus Buddo, John Roil.
Takitimu Maori Ward (3): Dallas Rahui Te Ahuru Adams, Ana Apatu, Hohepa Cooper, Kiri Goodspeed, Sarah Greening-Smith, Kellie Jessup, Renata Nepe.
Rural Communities Board:
Tūtira Community(1): Abby Morley
Kaweka (1): Isabelle Crawshaw
Maraekākaho (1): Jonathan Stockley
Poukawa (1): Lilly Lawson, Vicki Scoular.
Flaxmere Licensing Trust(6): Martha Greening, Chrissy Hokianga, Bronwen Hopkins, Warwick Howie, Farley Keenan.
Napier City Council
Mayor (1): Nigel Simpson, John Smith, Kirsten Wise.
Ahuriri (2): Hayley Browne, Louise Burnside, Leanne Cotter-Arlidge, Karl Goodchild, Keith Price
Onekawa-Tamatea (2): Annette Brosnan, Te Kira Lawrence, Richard McGrath.
Nelson Park (4): Maxine Boag, Sally Crown, Liz Gear, Juliet Greig, Greg Mawson, Nigel Olsen.
Taradale (4): Ronda Chrystal, Maria Roberts, Nigel Simpson, Chad Tareha, Graeme Taylor.
Wairoa District Council
Mayor (1): Benita Cairns, Craig Little, Simon Mutonhori, Murray Olsen, Jennifer Takuta-Moses.
General Ward (3): Ngaire Culshaw, Denise Eaglesome-Karekare, Hine Flood, Jeremy Harker, Murray Olsen, Roz Thomas, Waipatu Winitana.
Maori Ward (3): Benita Cairns, Danika Goldsack, Melissa Kaimoana, Jennifer Takuta-Moses, Wayne Taylor, Chaans Tumataroa-Clarke.
Hawke's Bay Regional Council
Ahuriri (3): Mark Barham, Neil Kirton, Hinewai Ormsby, Martin Williams.
Heretaunga-Hastings (3): Craig Foss, Steve Gibson, Xan Harding, Sophie Siers, Jock Mackintosh.
Maui ki te Raki Maori Ward (1): Charles Lambert, Michelle McIlroy
Maui kit e Tonga Maori Ward (1): Thompson Hokianga
Wairoa (1): Di Roadley, Api Tapine
Ngaruroro (1): Jerf van Beek
Tamatea CHB (1): Will Foley
Tararua District Council
Mayor (1): Tracey Collis, Nick Hill, James Kendrick, Sharon Wards
North Tararua (4): Roger Earp, James Brett Harold, James Kendrick, Erana Peeti-Webber, Vicki Priday, Kerry Sutherland, Paul Te Huki, Steve Wallace, James Walker, Sharon Wards
South Tararua (4): Alison Franklin, Jared Gardner, Scott Gilmore, Peter Johns, Michael Francis Long, Dennis Wyeth.
Tamaki nui-a-Rua Maori Ward(1): Naioma Chase, Lorraine Stephenson, Dot Watson.
Dannevirke Community(4): Ernie Christison, Craig Ellmers, Terry Hynes, Hamish McIntyre, Ron Wallace, Pat Walshe.
Eketahuna Community (4): Larissa Barclay, Terry Carew, Everlyne Chase, Jared Gardner, Selena Lamb, Steen McGhie.
'The twinkling fires dotted north and south as far as Te Awanga was magical.'