LOCAL Government minister Ignatius Chombo yesterday said he would block attempts by the MDC-T to fire its councillors who defied party orders and voted for Zanu PF mayoral candidates in the just-ended mayoral elections.
BY MOSES MATENGA/ BLESSED MHLANGA
Chombo was reacting to reports that the MDC-T had expelled its newly-elected Mutare mayor Tatenda Nhamarare and three other party councillors for allegedly defying the party’s directives on selection of mayoral candidates.
The party has threatened to fire several other councillors in Gweru, Kwekwe, Redcliff and Victoria Falls over similar allegations.
In an interview with NewsDay yesterday, Chombo said: “Nothing has changed since five years ago. Councillors choose the competent person to lead them, so it’s not party business to appoint anyone.
“We go by what is in the Constitution which is very clear on the matter. We have to go by the law and any political party that undermines that will not be tolerated.”
However, MDC-T shadow minister for Local Government Sesel Zvidzai immediately shot back, saying: “He (Chombo) will be in contravention of the law, but in the event that he has his way, he can have them (the fired councillors). We know they are short of councilors in the cities. The law is clear on that.”
Yesterday, Killian Mpingo, the permanent secretary in Chombo’s ministry, described the MDC-T threats as “invalid and against the law”.
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“The matter is not as easy as they think,” Mpingo said. “There are constitutional provisions they have to look at. First, they notify the Ministry of Local Government. The Constitution provides for the setting-up of a tribunal that is supposed to interrogate the action and gives the accused the right to give his side of the story. According to the law, no councillor should leave office unless there is full compliance.”
The MDC-T is battling to deal with the Gweru issue where party officials have recommended the dismissal of elected mayor Hamutendi Kombayi and nine other councillors for allegedly defying the party.
Zanu PF won mayoral seats in Kwekwe, Redcliff and Victoria Falls through the votes of MDC-T councillors.
Meanwhile, in Redcliff, the MDC-T has launched investigations into allegations that some of its councillors were bribed to vote for Zanu PF’s Freddy Kapuya in the mayoral elections.
Kapuya won the elections with five votes against Tapiwa Chikwira’s four in a poll which has triggered a massive witch hunt in the district.
MDC-T Midlands North secretary for local government and former Redcliff executive mayor Rogers Chisi confirmed the investigations and said the party would take action against “traitors”.
Chikwira, who stood as MDC-T mayoral candidate, is accused of having voted for Kapuya after allegedly receiving a bribe.
He, however, denies the allegations and insists that he voted for himself because he also wanted to be mayor.
“The party is investigating and I pray that the real culprits will be flushed out,” Chikwira said.
Kapuya also denies bribing anyone, saying the MDC-T councillors were clever enough to realise that he was the only credible candidate in the entire council.
“These councillors went above party politics and voted for a person whom they believed is up to the task to save Redcliff and that person is me. I will be approaching Zanu PF ministers to discuss issues to do with Ziscosteel and the bailing-out of this town which is sinking,” Kapuya said.
