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duties failed to attract seconders during a special council meeting last week. Special interest Councillor Charles Nyachowe moved the motion. Despite failure to second the motion, councillors still challenged Mr Masunda’s leadership style.
They questioned why the agenda for last Thursday’s special council meeting was different from what was agreed at an earlier councillors’ caucus.
An enraged Mr Masunda then asked councillors who felt “the meeting was useless to excuse themselves”.
No one left as the councillors wanted their case heard.
Clr Friday Muleya said Mr Masunda was going against the grain of democracy by trying to evict those who did not agree with him.
“You have to convince us as councillors. It is not democracy to chuck us out,” he said.
First to hit on Mr Masunda was Clr Panganayi Charumbira who said debate in the chambers bordered on “philosophising”.
Clr Muleya said the meeting had departed from the original agenda.
“Our meeting was supposed to review resolutions that were not implemented last year. We did not come here to listen to directors’ reports,” he said.
Clr Jonathan Tavarwisa said the meeting was supposed to proffer solutions rather than endless discussions.
It was at that moment that Clr Nyachowe proposed that Mr Masunda be relieved of his duties as chairman of the meeting.
“I propose that we relieve the mayor and appoint someone to guide council,” he said.
Clr Nyachowe said this was because Mr Masunda was failing to guide debate and set appropriate agendas for council.
Clr Wellington Chikombo said councillors were unhappy because the constituencies they represented were demanding results.
“Councillors have lost confidence in these discussions. We spent time debating as if we are at kindergarten,” he said.
But Clr Phumulani Musagwiza was not impressed with the attacks on Mr Masunda.
He said councillors should respect the office of mayor. “We did not come here to insult the mayor,” he said.
He was supported by Clr Peter Moyo who said the time was not ripe to institute a vote of no confidence in Mr Masunda. Clr Stewart Mutizwa proposed that the meeting should be adjourned to allow for a proper service delivery oriented agenda, while Clr Lisbon Marufu added that had special interest councillors been involved in the formulation of the agenda “business would have been smooth”.
Before the meeting Clr Herbert Gomba had handed Mr Masunda a letter of complaint which was copied to the MDC-T, Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Deputy Minister Sessel Zvidzai and the press.
Clr Gomba attacked Mr Masunda for confirming that council was selling properties of people who failed to pay their bills.
“I believe the statement was uncalled for and has huge political and perceptional views to the council, it clearly shows that the council is not considerate of the poor to an extent that it can repossess their property,” he said.
Clr Gomba urged Mr Masunda to retract the statements and to offer a “human statement”.
He said Mr Masunda should use his office to stop abuse of funds by officials who grant themselves huge loans and to stop the haemorrhaging of council funds through paying employees who had deserted the council.
Harare has paid up to US$2,4 million to workers who went away without official leave for periods of up to three years, but came back to claim money for years not worked.
But fellow councillors felt Clr Gomba should have asked for a formal meeting with Mr Masunda. They were unhappy he had copied the letter to senior MDC-T officials and the press.
Online Reporter