There was drama at Gweru Town House yesterday as three suspended MDC-T councillors attended a special council meeting arguing their period of suspension had lapsed without any action being taken against them.
By Stephen Chadenga
The councillors engaged in a heated debate with town clerk, Daniel Matawu outside the council chambers.
Matawu said the suspended city fathers should first be cleared by the Local Government ministry.
In May former Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo suspended the three councillors on allegations of abuse of office and council property.
The suspended councillors are Albert Chirau (ward 11), Kenneth Sithole (ward 4) and Moses Marecha (ward 5).
“Following receipt of allegations of abuse of office and council property by yourself, I am in terms of section 114 (1) of the Urban Councils Act Chapter 29:15, suspending you as councillor . . . with immediate effect. I will shortly appoint an investigation team to look into the allegations and advise you accordingly,” reads Chombo’s letter to the three councillors.
But the councillors who stormed the chambers for a meeting argued 60 days had lapsed without any charge being preferred against them and they had the right to return to work.
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After consultations with other management official in his office Matawu handed the three councillors a purportedly amended section to the Act that was used to suspend them.
Other MDC-T councillors also stormed Matawu’s office in solidarity with their colleagues.
“How can you hand us an amended Act when we were suspended with the same Act which was not amended,” Chirau asked Matawu.
“I have a strong feeling this is getting personal.”
But Matawu said he was being phoned by officials from the Midlands provincial administrator’s office on why the suspended councillors were attending the meeting.
The three later left the chambers and the meeting, which was supposed to start at 10 am only resumed around 12 noon.