A Bulawayo resident, Jack Matshazi, last Friday filed an urgent High Court chamber application seeking to block Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo from appointing Fidelis Fengu as a special interest councillor representing people with disabilities.
Report by Nqobile Bhebhe Senior Reporter
In the application filed by Matshazi’s lawyer Job Sibanda, Chombo is cited as first respondent with town clerk Middleton Nyoni and Fengu as third and fourth respondents respectively. He said as a person living with a disability since birth, he had never heard of Fengu.
Matshazi said in appointing Fengu, Chombo acted “in a completely irrational manner that no reasonable person who has applied his mind to the matter, may act in a similar manner”.
Fengu is scheduled to be sworn in as a special interest councillor today.
“I am told that such swearing in is set for Monday 21st January 2013, ” Matshazi said in his court papers.
“This matter is therefore clearly urgent in that there is very little time left between the event that l seek to stop and date of issue of this application.
“I did not know about the proposed swearing-in until yesterday (Thursday) the 17th January 2013 as I am not usually privy to the goings on of the council.
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“I am not the only person who finds himself in this position since I have spoken to a number of disabled people like myself and none of them have indicated that they are aware of the fourth respondent’s (Fengu) deeds as would cause him to be appointed to serve our interest in council.”
Matshazi said Chombo should explain why he selected Fengu saying Bulawayo City Council has among its councillors a disabled councillor Ephraim Ncube of Ward 17.
“I would have thought that apart from serving the interests of the general population, Ncube would also serve the interests of the disabled.”
Matshazi also queried the appointment of Fengu when the term of office for councillors is due to expire in eight weeks’ time.
“I wonder what benefit and in what was a councillor who is appointed eight weeks prior to dissolution of council will bring to the disabled people in Bulawayo apart from claiming sitting allowances to the determent of ratepayers like myself.”
