THE 11 Gweru MDC-T councillors, who recently were granted leave to resume their duties by the High Court, failed to hold their first meeting last Friday after the Local Government ministry and council had failed to respond to their notification for the gathering.
By Stephen Chadenga
The councillors, who include mayor 
, had on Thursday advised provincial administrator (PA), Cecilia Chitiyo, district administrator and acting town clerk Edgar Mwedzi of their intention to hold a special council meeting on Friday, but got no response from all the parties.
Kombayi confirmed the latest developments, saying they would soon engage their lawyers to force the local authority to abide by the court order. “We had notified them on Thursday of our intention to hold a meeting today (Friday), but they chose to ignore,” he said.
“We are consulting our lawyers on the best way forward, we are law-abiding citizens and had chose to follow the legal route, as well as being diplomatic in going back to council, but we are being pushed to the extreme end to adopt a confrontational approach.”
Mwedzi confirmed the councillors’ notification for a meeting, but said his “hands were tied”, adding the best people the councillors could approach were Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Chitiyo.
“In all the papers, the minister (Kasukuwere) and PA are cited as first and second respondents, respectively and they are the best people the councillors can deal with, as acting town clerk, I have no say in this,” he said.
Chitiyo could not be reached for comment.
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Last month, Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Francis Bere ordered Kasukuwere to unconditionally reinstate the 11 councillors.
The 11 are part of the 18 councillors, who were suspended on August 12 last year on allegations of gross misconduct, incompetence and mismanagement of council funds and affairs.
But in granting a final order in favour of the councillors, Justice Bere said their suspensions were null and void, saying it was unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, the Tsunga Mhangami-led three-member commission appointed by Kasukuwere continues to run council business.
