VICTORIA FALLS deputy mayor Norris Nyathi and two other MDC-T councillors have been expelled from the party for defying a directive during elections for the resort town’s mayor last year.
RICHARD MUPONDE SENIOR REPORTER
Nyathi, Rich Mguni (Ward 5) and Robson Salimu (Ward 8) were accused by their party of voting for Zanu PF’s Sifiso Mpofu as mayor in defiance of the MDC-T’s directive to vote for Margaret Valley as the resort town’s First Citizen.
MDC-T deputy organising secretary Abednigo Bhebhe yesterday confirmed that the trio had been fired for their defiance.
“They were sacked from the party,” he said.
“A decision was made at the national council meeting to probe all councillors nationwide that went against the party directives.
“These included those from Redcliff, Mutare, Gweru and Victoria Falls. So the three boys (Victoria Falls councillors) were expelled from the party.”
MDC-T also announced that it had fired Mutare mayor Tatenda Nhamharare and nine councillors from the party in December last year for a similar offence.
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Nhamharare and the councillors in question were fired for alleged indiscipline and voting against candidates imposed by the party’s leadership in the July 31 harmonised elections.
The party’s national council resolved to fire Nhemarare and recall Gweru mayor Hamutendi Kombayi.
However, the party later ordered Kombayi to resign of his own accord, but reports suggest that he has remained defiant. MDC-T also expelled three councillors Takura Chikwiri, Onward Majaji and Euphrasia Duro from Redcliff.
However, the expelled councillors continue in their jobs as their sacking has to be ratified by Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo.
Chombo vowed last year that he would block the sacking of councillors for exercising their democratic rights to vote for a candidate of their choice.
