THREE Victoria Falls councillors suspended by the MDC-T yesterday said they had not received any formal communication notifying them of the development as the party’s claims that three of its representatives in the resort town were bribed.
NDUDUZO TSHUMA STAFF REPORTER
MDC-T virtually lifted the lid on the alleged councillors who allegedly took bribes to vote for a Zanu PF candidate in mayoral elections after it suspended councillors Noris Nyathi, Ritche Mguni and Rosbson Salimu.
Last month the party had said it had evidence that three of its councillors received bribes from Transport minister Obert Mpofu to vote for Zanu PF councillor Sifiso Mpofu as mayor of the resort town and promised to expose them.
MDC-T has seven councillors while Zanu PF has three but Sifiso Mpofu was elected mayor, meaning that some MDC-T councillors voted for him.
Mpofu has denied the allegations saying he had never met the councillors and accused MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai of clutching at straws.
Nyathi yesterday told Southern Eye that he only knew the minister from seeing him on television. “I have not received any communication from the party over my suspension. I just read (about it) in the newspaper,” he said.
“What I can say on the allegations is that I have only seen Mpofu on television or when he visits Victoria Falls, but I have never spoken to him.
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“I do not think that he even knows me.”
Mguni said he learnt of the suspension through the newspapers but said the allegations of bribery were rooted in tribalism.
“As it is, I was in Botswana. I know Mpofu through newspapers. There is a tribal element to these allegations because there are claims that those who voted Zanu PF for the mayor are Ndebeles,” Mguni said.
“How can you accuse a person when voting was conducted by secret ballot.”
Salimu said the allegations of bribery against them were not true.
“All I can say is that the bribery allegations are not true,” he said.
“I was in Zambia and I just read in the newspapers of my suspension but nothing has been communicated to me formally.”
MDC-T Matabeleland North provincial chairperson Sengezo Tshabangu last month told Southern Eye that the party had identified three councillors that had allegedly taken bribes to vote for a Zanu PF candidate as mayor.
