KWEKWE MDC-T councillors last week reportedly clashed during a party meeting to select a candidate to succeed the late deputy mayor Aaron Sithole.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
The six MDC-T councillors in the Midlands city could not agree on a suitable candidate after three of them expressed interest in the post.
Councillors Aaron Gwalazimba, Jane Ticharunga and Bekezela Ndlovu are all interested in facing off with Zanu PF’s leading contender, Mapurazi Mapurazi.
The meeting, chaired by Moris Chinwada, turned chaotic as MDC-T female councillors shot down Gwaladzimba’s candidature demanding that the seat be reserved for a female candidate.
“Gwalazimba was unhappy because there was a move by other councillors to reserve the seat for Ticharunga because she is a woman he, however, said since he was the most senior in council, having served eight years in office and has a managerial background, he should be given the post,” said a source.
Gwalazimba confirmed the meeting, but denied reports that councillors were divided over the deputy mayor’s post.
“The issue is that we are six councillors elected on an MDC-T ticket and there are seven from Zanu PF, so the chances of us winning that seat are next to zero, but we are a united party and we will support the best candidate,” he said.
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In the 2013 elections, MDC-T councillors shocked their party leadership after they voted Zanu PF councillor, Matenda Madzoke as mayor although both parties had seven councillors each.
Sithole succumbed to hypertension shortly after being granted bail pending appeal against his two-year jail sentence for participating in an unsanctioned anti-government demonstration.
