adminFrom George Maponga in Masvingo
There was drama at the Civic Centre in Masvingo City on Monday afternoon after four Zanu-PF councillors walked out of the inaugural full ordinary council meeting in protest over the late arrival of the mayor to the meeting. The ordinary council meeting had to be postponed to Wednesday (today) after the four Zanu-PF councillors vigorously protested after the city’s newly-elected mayor Councillor Hubert Fidze (MDC-T) phoned to say he would be late for the meeting.
This angered the Zanu-PF councillors who felt Mayor Fidze was not taking council business seriously and stormed out before the meeting started.
Zanu-PF has four councillors in Masvingo while the remaining six councillors are from MDC-T.
Masvingo city town clerk Mr Adolf Gusha on Monday confirmed that the new council’s first ordinary full council meeting had to be postponed after Zanu-PF councillors stormed out of the meeting.
“It is true that we were supposed to have our first ordinary full council meeting on Monday, unfortunately we had to postpone the meeting to Wednesday (today) because some of the councillors stormed out of the meeting as they were apparently not happy that the mayor (Councillor Fidze) had delayed to come for the meeting,’’ said Mr Gusha.
He, however, expressed optimism that the ordinary full council meeting would finally take place on Wednesday (today).
Mayor Fidze confirmed the postponement of the ordinary full council meeting and said he had phoned council about his delay.
“I phoned council informing them that I would be delayed for the ordinary full council meeting under which circumstances my deputy mayor could have chaired the meeting but I was surprised to find that when I finally arrived for the meeting my other colleagues from Zanu-PF had already left.
“I may not know the reason behind the decision by the Zanu-PF councillors to leave but surely I do not think it is because they were protesting against my late arrival for the meeting,” said Mayor Fidze.
“I am certain come Wednesday all the councillors will be in attendance because we have a good working relationship,’’ he said.
Online Reporter