admin
Temba Dube Senior Reporter
A storm is brewing in MDC-T Bulawayo province after the councillors and the party’s secretary for local government, Mr Blessing Chebundo conducted elections for the city’s mayor. In the elections on Wednesday evening, which the provincial leadership has since said it would not recognise, councillors voted for Councillor Martin K Moyo of Ward 3 for mayor and elected Ward 20’s Earnest Rafamoyo as his deputy.
Mr Chebundo reportedly presided over the polls at the party’s provincial headquarters after the High Court dismissed MDC-T’s urgent application to compel Government to accept the nomination of non-councillors as mayors.
“There was drama when the deputy mayor was elected as Mr Chebundo started by disqualifying Mr Gift Banda (Ward 5) after party members pointed out that he could not be considered because he had been in the party for less than a year. Mr Banda threw tantrums saying the party was being unfair as he had sponsored the upkeep of several senior party leaders in South Africa for a number of years,” said a party official.
The issue took a new dimension yesterday afternoon, when first, MDC-T spokesperson for Bulawayo Mr Mandla Sibanda said he was not aware of the election.
The Bulawayo provincial organising secretary, Mr Albert Mhlanga, was more vocal: “As a province we do not recognise the election. In fact we did not hear about it. If indeed it took place, we are not part of it. Ask Chebundo if you have any questions. We made a resolution on the issue with councillors, which I cannot reveal to you.”
Mr Mhlanga said if Clr Banda was disqualified, it was a wrong move by Mr Chebundo.
“As far as I am concerned, Mr Banda is an elected councillor who should be treated in the same way as any other councillor,” said Mr Mhlanga.
Mr Chebundo and MDC-T national spokesperson, Mr Douglas Mwonzora could not be reached for comment yesterday.
However, a number of councillors yesterday said they stood by Wednesday’s election result.
“We are tired of our leaders who are playing ego games. Some are opposing each other just to make their weight felt. Whatever decision they will make next, we will vote for Clr Moyo and Clr Rafamoyo when the time comes for us to elect the mayor and the deputy,” said one of the councillors.
MDC-T has been battling internal strife as party members have resisted the leadership’s decision to impose mayors who are not elected councillors.
Members have celebrated the Government’s decision not to allow non-councillors to be appointed as mayors. They have said they support the High Court ruling.
In Bulawayo, party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai had imposed National University of Science and Technology lecturer Dr Mandla Nyathi.
He had nominated Mr Obert Gutu for Harare and Mr Thomas Muzuva, as his deputy. In Chitungwiza, he had chosen Mr Isaac Manyemba.
The party has since announced that it has “provisionally” chosen Mr Manyenyenye as Harare mayor and Mr Philip Mutoti as mayor for Chitungwiza.
MDC-T youths have reportedly written a petition questioning the party’s internal democratic systems and processes, including the imposition of mayoral candidates.
Senior officials in the party have been quoted in the Press alleging there was tension after Mr Tsvangirai began to directly appoint mayors, their deputies and chairpersons of committees in various cities and towns where the party won.
Online Reporter