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Midlands Correspondent
MDC-T has suspended councillors in Gweru, Redcliff, Kwekwe, and Victoria Falls pending disciplinary hearings for defying the party’s directive to elect party candidates to be mayors and deputies.In an interview yesterday, MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora said some of the councillors who have since been suspended include Gweru Mayor, Clr Hamutendi Kombayi, his deputy, Clr Artwell Matyorauta, Kwekwe Deputy Mayor, Clr Aaron Sithole, the losing mayoral candidate for Redcliff, Clr Takura Chikwiri, and three Victoria Falls councillors, Clr Ritchie Mguni, Clr Noris Nyathi and Clr Robson Salimu.
Mr Mwonzora said the suspended councillors will, starting this coming Monday, appear before a disciplinary committee.
“We have formerly sent letters of suspension to selected councillors in Gweru, Victoria Falls, Redcliff, Kwekwe and Mutare. In Mutare, the suspended councillors have since appeared before a disciplinary hearing while those in Gweru and other cities will be summoned to Harare between Monday and Friday next week,” he said.
Mr Mwonzora said the suspended councillors were supposed to answer at least two important questions to do with the electorate’s mandate and the party directive.
“We need to establish whether or not the councillors had the residents’ mandate to elect the people they elected as mayors and deputy mayors and also why they decided to defy a party directive,” he said.
He said the councillors were likely to be expelled from the party for letting down the residents and defying the party directive.
Meanwhile, MDC-T Midlands South provincial spokesperson, Mr James Tsuro, said five councillors in Gweru have since received their letters of suspension from the national executive.
He said the suspended councillors were Clrs Kombayi, his deputy, Clr Matyorauta, Clr Farai Muza, Clr Moses Marecha, and Clr Tawanda Magidi.
Clr Kombayi confirmed receiving a report of a formal suspension but said he was yet to receive the letter.
“I am just coming from Bulawayo where I have been attending an induction meeting but I have heard of the rumour (of the formal suspension).
“I will have to get in touch with our provincial secretary to find out if he has my letter of suspension,” he said.
Clr Kombayi said he was confident that he will be acquitted of any wrong doing.
“I know many people in the province are working flat out for my downfall but I know I have no case to answer on this one. This is a democratic party and I hope their disciplinary hearing will be democratic as well,” he said.
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