The Mayor of Gasabo District, Willy Ndizeye, and his two deputies yesterday tendered their resignations to the district advisory council.

The advisory council, which held an impromptu meeting yesterday evening, accepted their resignations.

The two vice mayors are; Jean Claude Munara (in charge of Finance and Economic Planning) and Marie Louise Uwimana for Social Affairs.

Speaking to The New Times last evening, Ndizeye confirmed his resignation citing "personal reasons” even as a member of the advisory council said that the resignations were due to failure to deliver on the district’s performance targets.

"I have decided to step aside for personal reasons. Each of us resigned on personal basis, we didn’t tender in a single resignation as the district administrative committee,” Ndizeye said.

He said he is proud of the achievements he registered while at the helm of the district and that he will continue contributing to the development of the district in a different capacity.

Ndizeye took office in February 2010 replacing Claudine Nyinawagaga who had also resigned.  He was later elected for the same office in 2011 with a five-year term that was due to end in 2016.

He had previously served as Gasabo vice mayor for finance and economic planning. 

The chairperson of Gasabo District Advisory Council, Alfred Munyentwali, who received the resignations, said the officials cited failure to deliver on the district periodic targets set under the annual performance contracts (Imihigo) in their resignations.

"Resignation is a right and more especially when someone has failed to deliver. The council accepted their resignation,” Munyentwali said.

In the report on Imihigo implementation published in September, Gasabo emerged 28th out of 30 districts in implementing their targets.

Imihigo is a major public sector performance yardstick in the country.

Munyentwari said the district Executive Secretary, Augustin Ingabire, had temporarily assumed the responsibilities of the officials as the district prepares for by-elections, which according to the law, are supposed to be held within less than three months from the day the seat fell vacant.