Kombayi waits for suspension papers

Politics
Gweru mayor Hamutendi Kombayi says he is still waiting to be served with papers by his MDC-T party after he and four other councillors were suspended.

GWERU — Gweru mayor Hamutendi Kombayi says he is still waiting to be served with papers by his MDC-T party after he and four other councillors were suspended for defying a party directive.

STEPHEN CHADENGA OWN CORRESPONDENT

There have been conflicting reports that while the mayor of Mutare Tendai Nhemarare and nine councillors from Mutare, Redcliff and Victoria Falls had been expelled, Kombayi was spared the axe and told by the party to relinquish the mayoral post.

However, Kombayi has been carrying out his duties as usual.

A party insider told Southern Eye that Kombayi was supposed to revert to being a mere councillor while the other four “rebel” Gweru councillors were ordered to relinquish their posts.

“He is supposed to renounce the mayoral post within seven days while other four councillors should resign from their posts in the party,” the MDC-T insider said.

Another source, however, said the fate of Kombayi was unclear as there were divisions among the hierarchy in the party on whether he should be recalled or not.

“The other officials feel Kombayi should be forgiven and carry on with his duties as mayor while others feel he should be punished for defying a party directive as it is tantamount to gross indiscipline,” the source said.

Kombayi and four other councillors were suspended in October after they defied a directive to second the party’s preferred candidate for mayor, Charles Chikozho.