HARARE mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni says the decision to block him from taking action against acting town clerk, Josephine Ncube over allegations of violating a Cabinet directive to take a salary cut, proved that he was a victim of Zanu PF politics.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
Manyenyeni is in the eye of a storm after Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere ordered Harare City Council to rescind a decision to sell him a commercial stand in Newlands.
The mayor said the stand was offered to him as part of his perks, which are prescribed by the Local Government ministry to all councils and it was not a decision taken by Harare alone.
“The allowances, perks and privileges of councillors are provided by a policy from the ministry of Local Government and not by mayors and councillors,” he said.
Manyenyeni said the Local Government ministry conducted hurried reviews of the policy in November just around the time Ncube was sent packing from Town House.
“It (policy) has remained in force until it was revised dramatically twice in one week this past November after council had passed resolutions, which allocated me and other councillors our stands,” he said.
“The hurried reviews, done in November, had an obvious attempt to back date it to apply specifically to me. That, obviously, was too late, so the decision to rescind mine became the only option.”
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Manyenyeni said the stand was sold to him at $106 000 and not $10 600 as alleged in media reports, a move he believes was aimed at painting him as corrupt.
Kasukuwere and Manyenyeni have been at each other’s throats since the mayor tried to employ James Mushore as town clerk, a matter that has now become the subject of a court battle.
