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Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Correspondent—-
MDC-T structures in Midlands have recommended that newly elected Gweru mayor, Councillor Hamutendi Kombayi, his deputy, Clr Artwell Matyorauta and eight other councillors be expelled from the party. The province is not happy that they dumped the party’s preferred candidate during last week’s mayoral elections.
The embattled opposition party has also recommended that Zvishavane’s Ward Nine councillor, Clr Andrew Mare be fired as well for refusing to turn down his nomination for the town’s chairmanship post.
The MDC-T’s preferred candidate for the Gweru mayorship was Clr Charles Chokozho (Ward 14) with Clr Kenneth Sithole of Ward Four deputising him.
The MDC-T councillors, who constitute the majority in Gweru, however, defied the party directive and voted for Clrs Kombayi and Matyorauta.
In an interview yesterday, MDC-T Midlands South provincial spokesperson Mr James Tsuro said the party’s provincial executive conducted an investigation and found that 10 councillors in Gweru including Clr Kombayi had acted against the party’s position.
He said the councillors who have been lined up for the axe are Bonface Magara (Ward 18), Nokuthula Mbano (Ward Three), Tawanda Magidi (16) Ernest Guduza (14) Willard Ndaguta (8), Farai Muza (17), Albert Chirawu (11) and Moses Marecha of Ward Five.
Mr Tsuro said the party’s Midlands provincial executive has since written to the party’s national executive recommending the expulsion of the 10 councillors from the party.
He said the party also recommended the expulsion from the party of Clr Mare in Zvishavane’s Ward Nine.
“After our investigations following the recent developments in which our councillors defied the party position on mayoral candidates, the provincial structures instituted some investigations. We then held our provincial executive meeting on Saturday and resolved that Clr Kombayi, (Ward One) and Clr Artwell Matyorauta (Ward Eight) who were elected Gweru mayor and deputy respectively be expelled from the party. We also recommended the expulsion from the party of eight other councillors in Gweru for conniving with Clrs Kombayi and Matyorauta to go against the party’s preferred candidate for the mayoral position and that of the deputy mayor,” he said.
Mr Tsuro said the provincial executive took the decision to investigate the Gweru mayoral election process following a directive from the party’s national executive.
“We received a letter from the party’s secretary-general, Mr Tendai Biti directing the province to carry out investigations following the elections that were conducted in the council chambers in which Clr Kombayi was elected Gweru mayor. Our investigations established that 10 Gweru councillors including Clr Kombayi acted in connivance and defied the official party position,” he said.
Mr Tsuro said the party also recommended the expulsion of Clr Mare of Zvishavane after he allegedly refused to decline when he was nominated to be chairman of Zvishavane Town Council.
“In Zvishavane, the MDC-T’s preferred candidate, Clr Esau Gwatipedza won the chairmanship but we have one councillor, Clr Mare who contested the election after being nominated,” he said.
Mr Tsuro said he was confident that the national executive would endorse the province’s recommendation to fire the “rebels”.
“We believe the national executive will go by our resolution and we expect by-elections within 90 days to fill the vacant wards,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Clr Kombayi confirmed having received the report of the provincial executive resolution to fire them. He dismissed the recommendations as “undemocratic”.
He said he expected the party’s national executive not to endorse the province’s resolution.
“The decision by the province to fire us is a farce. It’s undemocratic and I want to believe that the national executive will just dismiss the resolution. I was elected by the councillors in line with the constitution of Zimbabwe and that of the party. I was legally elected Gweru mayor and the MDC-T provincial executive has no right to fire us,” said Clr Kombayi.
Clr Magidi, who nominated Clr Kombayi for the post, argued that it was wrong for the party to fire members for exercising their democratic right when they elected the mayor.
He said they consulted all the city wards before voting for Clr Kombayi.
The MDC-T has already fired its newly elected mayor for Mutare, Clr Tatenda Nhamarare and three other councillors for rejecting the party’s preferred candidate, Clr Thomas Nyamupanedengu.
Online Reporter