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Bureaux—
MDC-T ate humble pie yesterday, climbing down from its earlier resolve to field non-elected candidates for mayorship and to chair councils during votes for the positions that took place countrywide yesterday. The High Court last Wednesday threw out an urgent chamber application in which MDC-T sought to compel the Government to allow non-councillors to be appointed mayors and chairpersons.
Justice Francis Bere dismissed the application by the opposition party for failure to prove that the case was urgent.
This means MDC-T may proceed by way of filing a normal court application, which — according to legal experts — cannot stop the elections.
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Ignatius Chombo last Friday emphasised that only elected councillors would be considered for the positions.
In Gweru, MDC-T councillors defied their party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai who had imposed Clr Charles Chikozho for the mayoral position.
Instead, they voted in Clr Hamutendi Kombayi — who is the son of Gweru’s first black mayor — the late Mr Patrick Kombayi.
Clr Kombayi of Ward 2 garnered 12 votes against Clr Chikozho’s six.
MDC-T Clr Artwell Matyouta was elected deputy mayor after he got 11 votes ahead of Clr Kenneth Sithole who had seven votes.
Mr Tsvangirai allegedly threatened to expel all councillors who defied the directive to vote for his preferred candidates.
In Harare, councillor for Ward 17, Mount Pleasant Bernard Manyenyeni (MDC-T) was elected mayor after Government shot down a bid by MDC-T to appoint a non-councillor for the post.
He will be deputised by Kambuzuma councillor Thomas Muzuva (MDC-T).
MDC-T had nominated former Justice and Legal Affairs Deputy Minister Obert Gutu and Mr Isaac Manyemba as nominees for the mayorship of Harare and Chitungwiza, respectively.
In Bulawayo, MDC-T had nominated Mr Mandla Nyathi for the mayor’s post.
The three are not elected councillors, but the law stipulates that mayors can only come from elected councillors.
Provincial administrator for Harare Metropolitan Province Mr Alfred Tome outlined the position of the law regarding the election of mayors and chairpersons before calling in the councillors to take their oath before Harare Town Clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi and chamber secretary Mrs Josephine Ncube.
Mr Tome highlighted that according to the law, the mayor comes from the elected councillors.
MDC-T Clr Job Mbadzi nominated Clr Manyenyeni, while Clr Rai Gwenambira nominated Clr Musatye Beadle Gwasira for the mayoral office.
After a secret ballot, Clr Manyenyeni emerged the winner with 38 votes against Clr Gwasira’s seven.
MDC-T has 38 councillors in Harare, while Zanu-PF has nine.
Glen View Clr Tungamirirai Madzokere could not attend the ceremony as he is in remand prison on charges of murdering police inspector Petros Mutedza two years ago.
On the post of deputy mayor, Clr Muzuva amassed 38 votes against Clr Samuel Garachani’s (Zanu-PF) seven.
After the election, Mr Tome told the new mayor and his deputy that:
“Let me also remind you that local Government is a lower level of central Government public administration which uses both constitutional and delegated powers and functions to manage local affairs and provide services.
“Councils bring central Government closer to the people. To ensure the effectiveness of councils, the ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing has arranged an induction programme to familiarise councillors and indeed mayors and deputy mayors with the legislative provisions governing your operations and expectations of central Government,” he said.
In his inaugural speech, the new mayor Clr Manyenyeni said: “I look forward to leading a team of councillors who work together. I will not be excited if the votes are 38 against seven on every resolution. This is not the united council we are going to be looking at. I understand from the voting of mayor and deputy it is understandable,” he said.
In Chitungwiza, Clr Phillip Mutoti was elected mayor after garnering 14 votes against Dr Fredrick Mabamba’s (Zanu-PF) 10.
He will be deputised by Clr Herbert Mushangwe who got 13 votes against his closest rival Dr Mabamba who amassed seven votes.
Clr Gladys Tlou (Ward 10) was re-elected chairperson of Beitbridge Rural District Council and would be deputised by Clr Joseph Muleya (Ward 6).
All the councillors are from Zanu-PF.
Six councillors were also sworn in to run the affairs of Beitbridge Town Council where Cde Showa Moyo (Ward 5) was elected chair person deputised by Cllr Gift Nyoni (Ward 3).
In Chegutu Cllr Leo Gwanzura of MDC-T defeated Zanu-PF’s Cllr Anywhere Mukutuma to become mayor.
Kadoma city’s new mayor is MDCT’s Cllr Muchineripi Munyan’anya who narrowly beat Zanu-PF’s Cllr Langton Mabhanga by nine votes against eight. MDC-T’s Cllr Hubert Gava deputises him.
In Bindura Zanu-PF’s Ward 4 Cllr Innocent Zvigumbu was elected mayor and would be deputised by Ward 2 Cllr Mrs Theresa Mutandadzi following the swearing in of the 12 municipality councillors yesterday. Ten of the 12 councillors are Zanu-PF.
Zanu-PF’s Cllr Mr Antony Makwindi is now the mayor for Marondera Town Council after winning uncontested in an election held at the municipality head office in Marondera yesterday.
Mr Makwindi would be deputised by his Zanu-PF colleague Alderman Godfrey Pasi Chisango- who once served as a deputy mayor in the same municipality.
Banker Cllr Patrick Chidhakwa won the Marondera Rural District Council chairmanship and would be deputised by Mr Tonderai Kwaramba in the all-Zanu-PF council that has 23 councillors.
MDC-T Ward 6 councillor Mr Hubert Fidze was elected the new Masvingo mayor after prevailing over Cde Lovemore Mufamba (Zanu-PF) Ward 10 councillor by six votes to four.
Cllr Jameson Chiwara Ward 3 (MDC-T) landed the deputy mayoral post.
In Chiredzi town, Cllr Francis Moyo of Zanu-PF was elected chairperson while Cde Edward Matsilele was elected as chairperson of the Chiredzi Rural District Council.
Chivi Rural District Council’s new chairperson is Zanu-PF’s Cde Killer Zivhu while in Mwenezi Zanu-PF’s Cde Samuel Masukume is the new chairperson of the rural district council.
Ward 22 Cllr Peter Marambiri (Zanu-PF) was elected chairperson of Masvingo Rural District Council while in Gutu, Ward 27 Cllr Cde Nicholas Zambara is the new chairperson.
MDC-T Ward 8 Cllr Tatenda Nhamarare has been elected Mutare mayor and he would be deputised by Zanu-PF’s Cllr Collin Mukwada.
The MDC-T had nominated Cllrs Thomas Nyamupanedengu and Kudakwashe Chisango but some protested protested the decision and teamed up with Zanu-PF to elect Cllr Mukwada.
In Makoni Rural District Council Zanu-PF’s Cllr David Mutasa was re-elected chairperson beating fellow colleagues and he would be deputised by Alderman Shylet Matsangura also of the same party.
Alderman Amon Chawasarira of Zanu-PF was elected Rusape Town Council chair beating MDC-T’s Cllr Lyton Sithole and he would be deputised by Cllr Everisto Manyengavana also of Zanu-PF.
In Bulawayo, Ward 3 Cllr Martin K Moyo was elected unopposed as mayor while Cllr Gift Banda was elected his deputy.
The elections may have sounded the death knell to MDC-T’s battle to have the courts compel the Government to allow the nomination of non-councillors as mayors.
In his brief acceptance speech, Clr Moyo pledged to prioritise the provision of water and other aspects of service delivery in the city.
“We have to appreciate that we are waking up from a huge catastrophe, a collapse. Our roads are broken, our public places are not properly lit and we have problems providing water. So many other social services need to be attended to. So I pledge before you today that this council will do its utmost to deliver,” said Clr Moyo.
He said Bulawayo preceding councils had left behind a legacy of Bulawayo as the best run city in the country, and the present council had to live up to that reputation.
“I am confident that with this team of councillors, we will perpetuate that legacy and continue to perform in excellency,” said Cllr Moyo.
In Bulawayo MDC-T had tried to impose National University Science and Technology lecturer for the Bulawayo mayoral post.
In Gwanda Cllr Knowledge Ndlovu (44) of Ward 3 was elected as the mayor and would be deputised by Ward 10’s Cllr Albert Ndlovu. The two were elected unopposed.
All the 10 councillors are males of which seven are from Zanu-PF, two from MDC-T and one MDC.
In his acceptance speech, Clr Ndlovu expressed his gratitude to the people of Gwanda and Matabeleland South province as a whole for putting their trust in him and Zanu-PF.
“We are going to work tirelessly and dedicate ourselves to servicing our communities and transform lives of the people for the better,” said Clr Ndlovu, who is a well known businessman.
Twenty-four councillors for Gwanda Rural District Council were sworn in with Ward 12 Clr Johnson Mangwangwa Dube being retained as the council chairperson. He would be deputised by Clr Jorum Ndlovu of Ward 20.
In the Gwanda RDC Zanu-PF has 14 councillors, eight from MDC-T while MDC has two.
In Umguza RDC, 19 councillors were sworn-in by the chief executive officer Mr Collen Moyo at the local authority’s offices in Bulawayo .
Ward Two Cllr Cde Mary Shelton was elected council chairperson and is deputised by Cde Albert Ncube of Ward 14.
The member of the National Assembly for Umguza constituency, Dr Obert Mpofu, who was the guest of honour congratulated the councillors for winning the elections and challenged them to take their work seriously.
“Development does not start in Harare but it starts with you here. People have given you the positions you wanted. Now it is your turn to deliver and please them,” said Dr Mpofu.
He urged the councillors to work tirelessly to implement the Zanu-PF manifesto at local level saying those who fail to do so would be destroying the party.
In her remarks Cde Shelton urged fellow councillors to put people first and deliver service as a tribute to the electorate.
In Plumtree, Ward 6 Cllr, Mr Paulous Hobane was elected council chairperson and Ward 4 Cllr Bakani Tshuma was appointed vice-chairperson, while in Mangwe Ward 16 Cllr Morgen Ncube was elected council chairperson and Ward 10 Cllr Zulakes Nyathi was elected vice-chairperson.
In Mangwe Ward 1 Cllr Rolland Mafesi was elected chairperson while Ward 4 Cllr Sindisiwe Sibanda was voted vice-chairperson.
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