adminInnocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Harare councillors on Friday barred mayor Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni from presiding over a full council meeting, demanding that he apologises for making “reckless statements” against them in newspapers and social media.
The councillors last month wrote a petition to MDC-T requesting that Clr Manyenyeni be recalled from his position on allegations of refusing to take directives from Harvest House, the party’s headquarters.
The attempt failed after the MDC-T hierarchy opposed the move. Relations between Clr Manyenyeni and councillors have not been rosy since 2015.
Clr Manyenyeni is on record saying the councillors were not educated and should not be voted into office this year. Other statements made by Clr Manyenyeni related to the football budget have not helped the situation.
Harare City Council sponsors two football teams, Harare City and Harare Cubs.
“We have told him (Manyenyeni) that he cannot chair the full council until he apologises for his reckless statements on social media and newspapers,” said one of the councillors. “If he decides to chair the meeting, we will walk out.”
Another councillor accused Clr Manyenyeni of speaking his mind and not the position of council and not consulting fellow councillors.
Glen View North MP and MDC-T Harare provincial spokesperson Mr Fani Munengami yesterday said Clr Manyenyeni was still in charge at Town House.
“He is our mayor, there is no other position than that,” he said. “If there were any issues they were supposed to be raised by Harare Province, which will then take the matter to the party leadership.
We have not received anything to that effect.”
Clr Manyenyeni, who is on record saying he will not seek re-election at the end of his term, believes that running of councils require educated people.
He is on record arguing that it was better to include non-partisan and non-political councillors if elected councillors did not have the requisite skills.
“For the success of future councils, my advice for post 2018 elections to political parties is that they should start scouting for councillors and mayors now,” said Clr Manyenyeni.
“In 1927, Harare had two lawyers in council — nearly 90 years later the entire country has only one lawyer out of over 2 000 councillors. I would favour the inclusion of a non-partisan, non-political individuals with minimum key skills that are critical to our tour of duty.”
Online Reporter