Harare Council in fresh turmoil

Blessings Chidakwa-Herald Reporter

HARARE City Council has yet again been thrown into a leadership crisis after the recall of CCC ward 18 councillor and Mayor, Ian Makone, by the party’s interim secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu.

What is worse for the often poorly run council is that the deputy mayor and ward 41 councillor, Cllr Kudzai Kadzombe, has also been recalled, leaving a power vacuum caused by mindless infighting in CCC that has already cost Treasury no less than US$5 million.

Due to perennial petty opposition politics, the previous council also faced almost a similar mayoral headache when councillor Herbert Gomba was recalled, leaving the city vulnerable to a leadership crisis.

Cllr Gomba was subsequently replaced by former Mayor Jacob Mafume whose tenure was also marred by controversy when he was suspended.

Back then, a suspended Cllr Mafume claimed to be the mayor while fellow councillor Stewart Mutizwa also claimed to be the acting Mayor, exposing serious divisions and infighting that have always rocked the opposition party in its changing forms.

As has been the case, CCC’s leadership always has a hand in the selection of the city’s mayor and those deemed most loyal or sidekicks of party leader Mr Nelson Chamisa always emerge the winners.   

As it stands, it remains a mammoth task to fill the city’s top position as most of the remaining CCC councillors are perceived ‘incompetent’ by their party leadership.

Some of those reportedly vying for the top post are councillors Simon Mapanzure (ward 34), Happymore Gotora (ward 17) and Blessing Muroyiwa (ward 2).

Former Mayor and ward 19 councillor Mafume, who never contested when Cllr Makone took over, is also among the favourites to clinch the top post since he was only at the helm for a short stint.

In a notice last Thursday, former Mayor Makone said a vacancy occurred in his ward as a result of a letter of recall that was written to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works by CCC interim secretary general Mr Tshabangu.

“I have been humbled to serve as councillor, and for the last two months as Mayor of Harare.  We were beginning to set an agenda for addressing the many issues of concern to residents, and hopefully, we can resume work soon,” he said.

Former Mayor Makone said the law provides for the recall of Members of Parliament and councillors when they cease to be members of the party on whose ticket they were nominated as candidate.

“The issues have since spilled into the courts, and there is no telling if this route will provide a determination soon.

 “If the courts route were to be drawn out, residents would once more have an opportunity through a by-election within the next 90 days to decide on a councillor to represent them at the City of Harare,” he said.