A clique of Bulawayo councillors is pushing for the dissolution of a committee that rejected town clerk Christopher Dube’s push to hold on to his position until he is 70 years-old in a move that has divided the local authority, documents exclusively obtained by Southern Eye have revealed.
Dube, who initially stepped down at the end of September last year when his four year contract ended, received a reprieve when he was given a year extension by councillors.
He has been on the job since October 1, 2016 when he succeeded the late Middleton Nyoni.
The war veteran requested council to extend his term office until he reaches the age of 70 following a new government policy that allowed senior officials to serve until they reach that age.
Dube wanted council to rescind last year’s resolution that extended his term by a year so that he could benefit from the new dispensation, but that was rejected by the general purposes committee.
In a new twist to the saga, Cowdray Park council Nkosilathi Hove Mpofu on October 27 tabled a motion seeking the dissolution of the general purposes committee, confidential minutes of the special council meeting in our possession show.
It is believed that the new strategy involves removing councillors that are against the term extension from the influential committee for Dube to have his way.
Mpofu’s motion, which is in our possession, was signed by councillors Sikhulekile Moyo, Nokuthula Sibanda, Ashton Mhlanga, Susan Sithole, Mxolisi Mahlangu, Adrian Moyo, Donaldson Mabutho, Lezina Mohamed, Josiah Mutangi, Fexix Madzana, Muzi Masuku, Tavengwe Zidya, Metillia Matunha, Tinevimbo Maposa and Lovewell Mwinde.
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The motion would now be tabled at a full council meeting next month amid heavy lobbying by the councillors that are fighting in the town clerk’s corner.
A councillor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the town clerk was now on a witch hunt against councillors in the general purposes committee that rejected his request for term extension, which could have seen him remain at City Hall until 2028.
“The current town clerk's contractual term ends in November 2026, but he wants an extension to 2028, using the government's announced extension of the retirement age,” the councillor said.
“Since the committee has legal minds, we told him that his current term is contractual and any motion to extend it is illegal.”
The committee member said that since then, the town clerk has been angry and has allegedly influenced some councillors to dissolve the committee and replace it with malleable members.
“That motion was meant to remove us, but it failed after being ruled illegal," the source said.
"However, in our debate, we agreed that we could extend his term by one year.
"We know he will still use that chance to try and remove the current general purposes committee next year to install one with his own supporters.
"He now has his favourites among the councillors —16 of them—and wants to push the motion to remove us using them.”
Dube was not reachable for comment. Mpofu’s motion followed another by Ashton Mhlanga seeking that council committees should serve five year terms.
Mpofu noted that chamber secretary Sikhangele Zhou had received his motion requesting that the current general purposes committee be dissolved and replaced with new members.
He stated the request was simply to replace the committee.
In response Zhou pointed out that chairpersons were appointed under Section 96(6) of the Urban Councils Act, which states that committees themselves elect their chairpersons and vice-chairmen.
The Act specifies that council cannot directly appoint chairpersons.
The motion read: “It is my considered view that for a council to reappoint or appoint different standing committees, it should be done in terms of section 103 of the Act.”
Mpofu argued that the council cannot reappoint committees after the expiry of one year terms as it did before section 103 was amended.
“The motion seeks to change chairpersons, but this can only be done under circumstances spelled out in Section 96(7),” he said.
"Council can, however, review the work of the standing committees and reappoint or appoint new committees."
He added that new committees could then elect their own chairpersons.
To avoid future confusion, Mpofu recommended that the August 7, 2024 resolution be rescinded and replaced with one stating that "the current committees be dissolved and re-constituted, and that the appointment of the chairpersons be referred to the relevant committees in terms of Section 96(6) and (7) of the Urban Councils Act.”
Mpofu argued that rotating leadership roles among councillors helps foster versatile and adept leaders.
