Masvingo councillors walk out on fellow councillor

members led by mayor Alderman Femius Chakabuda left council chambers in a huff in protest after MDC-T ward 8 councillor Mr Misherk Gapare entered the room where the city’s 2013 budget was under discussion.
Clr Gapare recently filed a lawsuit against Masvingo city council in protest over its decision to garnish his allowances to repay a debt in unpaid rates amounting to over US$5 000 which he owes the country’s oldest town.
Council had garnished Clr Gapare’s allowances amounting to nearly US$1 500 prompting him to sue it.
The passing of the Masvingo city council’s 2013 budget had to be postponed after both MDC-T and Zanu-PF councillors together with those respresenting special interests walked out on Clr Gapare who was left sitting alone in the council chambers.
He sat alone in the chambers for a few minutes after being deserted by his colleagues before he also left the chambers.
Masvingo city council has ten councilors including him and three others representing special interests.
Alderman Chakabuda on Friday defended the walk out by the councillors saying they would not sit with Clr Gapare until council finds a legal route to resolve the matter.
“We are waiting for the town clerk (Mr Adolph Gusha) to give us a legal position in as far the issue of Councilor Gapare is concerned.
“Only after that will we be able to decide whether to sit down with him or not.
“Otherwise at the moment we cannot sit down with him because we no longer know whose interests he (Clr Gapare) is serving by taking us to court,” said Alderman Chakabuda.
He said council had garnished Clr Gapare’s allowances to recoup a US$5 000 debt the councillor owes in unpaid rates at a council house in the city’s Eastvale suburb.
Clr Gapare on Friday refused to comment.
This is not the first time that the MDC-T ward 8 councillor has stirred a storm in the city.
A few months ago he was evicted from a Masvingo Show Society stand after he invaded one of the stands, which he tried to convert into his house.
Nationally some MDC-T councillors have been embroiled in corruption charges.