BCC thrown into turmoil, as CCC councillors boycott council business

Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has been thrown into turmoil with Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillors boycotting council business allegedly in protest of the recent recalls of councillors and national assembly members that dogged the party.

The party’s interim secretary general, Mr Sengezo Tshabangu recalled some members of the national assembly and councillors from various local authorities in the party’s internal struggle for control.

In Bulawayo 12 councillors were recalled by Mr Tshabangu, these including, the deputy mayor, Councillor Donaldson Mabuto, Clr Shepherd Dube (ward one), Clr Nkosinathi Hove Mpofu (ward six), Clr Takunda Felix Madzana (ward 18), Clr Simbarashe Dube (ward 20), Clr Tinevimbo Maphosa (ward 21), Clr Thobeka Mmeli Moyo (ward 22), Clr Arnold Batirai (Ward 24) and also proportional representation councillors, Clr Sarah Cronje, Clr Tabeth Mhizha, Clr Dorcas Sibanda and Clr Zibusiso Tshongwe.

According to council sources, councillors have this week boycotted all council committee meetings, with the last council related business they attended being the annual civic church service that was held at the City Presbyterian Church on Sunday.

“Although the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has not formally written to the local authority informing them of the recall, the instruction that we have received is to stop attending all council business for the next two weeks in solidarity with our recalled colleagues.

“However, we are in a catch-22 situation because we have been told that if we do not heed to this call we will be recalled also and Tshabangu has also made it clear that those who boycott will also be recalled, so we are basically in between a rock and a hard place,” said one CCC councillor.

On Wednesday morning there was supposed to be a meeting of the finance and development committee and only Clr Nokuthula Sibanda who was elected under the proportional representation ticket representing the ruling Zanu-PF, and BCC directors, turned up for the meeting.

The general purposes committee, which is the most important body within the local authority where the mayor, Clr David Coltart, his deputy Clr Mabuto and all other council committee chairpersons sit together with BCC directors, failed to take place.

In a message sent to councillors, the chamber secretary, Mrs Sikhangele Zhou said the meeting had been postponed to a later date.

“Please note that the Joint Finance and Development and the General Purposes Committees meeting scheduled for today at 10 am has been rescheduled to a later date. Thank you,” reads a message from Mrs Zhou.