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Mashudu Netsianda Senior Reporter
THE MDC-T’s move to fire some of its councillors and mayors in four local authorities where it won a majority of wards is illegal, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Mr Killian Mupingo said yesterday.
In an interview, Mr Mupingo said MDC-T did not follow the required procedure in line with the provisions of the Constitution.
“The law is very clear in terms of the tenure of seats of members of local authorities. In fact, Section 278 of the Constitution is elaborate on the process that must be observed.
“The seat of a mayor or councillor of a local authority only becomes vacant in the event that the person holding it ceases to belong to the political party when he or she was elected to council, and that political party should also write notifying the Minister proclaiming that the member has ceased to belong to it,” he said.
Mr Mupingo said the removal of councillors, mayors and chairpersons of local authorities has to be on the basis of gross incompetence, misconduct, physical or mental incapability and wilful violation of the law.
“There also has to be the establishment of an independent tribunal to exercise the function of removing those people from office. Unless MDC-T complies with the provisions of the law in terms of Section 278, those councillors and mayors still remain in office,” said Mr Mupingo.
The MDC-T has already “fired” its newly-elected mayor for Mutare, Councillor Tatenda Nhamarare and three councillors for rejecting the party’s preferred candidate, Councillor Thomas Nyamupanedengu.
The embattled party, fresh from a humiliating defeat in the 31 July harmonised elections, instituted a witch-hunt in a bid to flush out rebel councillors who voted for Zanu-PF candidates as mayors as well as for defying the party leadership on the imposition of candidates.
Zanu-PF last week won three mayoral posts in Victoria Falls, Redcliff and Kwekwe when the opposition party’s councillors abandoned their party and voted for the ruling party councillors as mayors.
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora said his party was in the process of investigating the municipalities of Redcliff, Kwekwe, Victoria Falls, Gweru and Mutare.
“The correct position is that we are investigating our councillors who defied the party position on mayoral candidates when they voted for Zanu-PF mayors and other candidates different from those selected during our caucus meetings,” he said.
Mr Mwonzora accused some councillors of defying the party position and the mandate of the electorate by electing candidates who were not preferred by the party for mayoral positions.
“Our investigations are mainly centred on whether the councillors followed the mandate of the electorate in various wards as well as the mandate of the party when they elected mayors, deputy mayors and chairpersons.During our caucus meetings the party selected its preferred candidates and everyone agreed but some councillors later changed their minds in council and voted for other candidates. We are therefore taking action against them,” he said
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 beleaguered 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.
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