MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday threatened to expel defiant party councillors who voted in Zanu PF candidates in mayoral elections held throughout the country on Monday.
OBEY MANAYITI/DUMISANI SIBANDA
Tsvangirai’s threats came hard on the heels of a resolution by MDC-T’s Manicaland provincial leadership to recommend the expulsion of four councillors who allegedly voted for Zanu PF’s Collen Mukwada for deputy mayor ahead of the party’s preferred candidate Kudakwashe Chisango.
They include newly-elected mayor Tatenda Nhamarare and councillors Richard Mupfura, Farai Bhiza and Pamela Mutare.
MDC-T on Tuesday accused councilors who voted for Zanu PF mayors in Victoria Falls, Redcliff and Kwekwe of taking bribes from the ruling party. Tsvangirai told journalists in Harare that MDC-T had the right to recall errant councillors and MPs.
“The constitution is very clear. The party has a right of recall. It has a right of recall whether you are a councillor or an MP. When the party feels you are no longer representing its mandate you can be recalled,” he said.
“In this instance a democratic process is already taking place, whereby councillors in those affected towns, to some extent, the provincial councils have been tasked to convene meetings of district committees and ward structures where these councillors work.
They will have to answer to those structures, whether they carried out the mandate they were given.
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“That process will be presented to us the executive next week and we will make decisions, but it has to be a grassroots accountability process.” MDC-T Manicaland provincial spokesperson, Pishai Muchauraya, said prior to the Monday polls, all party councillors had been ordered to elect mayors and deputy mayors from among themselves.
In the case of Mutare, the councillors had been directed to elect Thomas Nyamupanedengu as mayor with Chisango as his deputy.
However, Nhamarare allegedly defied the party directive and contested for the mayor’s post, which he eventually won.
“We started with a (provincial) executive meeting and all members were present and we deliberated on the conduct of the four councillors who voted for Zanu PF,” Muchauraya said.
Nhamarare declined to comment over the matter.
