A showdown is looming between the MDC-T and Harare City Council after the party accused its councillors of “jumping the gun” by proposing the renaming of some roads in the capital after the country’s most decorated army commander, the late General Solomon Mujuru, Enock Dumbutshena and Walter Kamba.
Dumbutshena and Kamba were the first black Chief Justice and University of Zimbabwe (UZ) vice- chancellor respectively.
The MDC-T-dominated local authority has recommended naming Rotten Row after Dumbutshena, Churchill Avenue after Kamba and Enterprise Road after Mujuru.
The local authority said the roads were chosen because they passed through or near institutions that the luminaries once served.
Rotten Row was being renamed after Dumbutshena because he was the country’s first black Chief Justice in addition to passing near the Harare Magistrates’ Courts. Council also said Churchill Avenue was renamed after Kamba because it passed through the UZ where he became the country’s first black vice-chancellor while Enterprise Road passed through the eastern side of the Zimbabwe National Army Headquarters KGVI.
But yesterday, the MDC-T Harare province said the councillors had “misfired” and should restart the process by following procedure.
MDC-T Harare provincial spokesperson Obert Gutu said: “MDC-T Harare province notes that the city has resolved to rename Enterprise Road, Churchill Avenue and Rotten Row after three prominent Zimbabweans.
Whilst we have absolutely no problem with the renaming of the proposed roads, we feel that the city council which we control should firstly follow the correct procedure of getting clearance from the party before proceeding to embark on the road-renaming exercise.
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As such, all MDC councillors in Harare will be kindly advised of the due process of what has to be followed before the proposed name changes can be formally endorsed and approved.”
