via New mayors for Harare and Bulawayo | The Zimbabwean by Adrian Mutigwe 16.09.13
MDC-T has chosen Benard Manyenyeni as Mayor of Harare. Manyenyeni was in July elected Councillor for Mt Pleasant’s Ward 17, replacing Warship Dumba who was also eyeing the mayoral post.
Manyenyeni polled 38 votes against Zanu (PF) candidate Bidol Gwasira’s seven.
Thomas Muzuva was officially elected Deputy Mayor, beating Zanu (PF)’s Samuel Garachani by the same margin.
MDC-T had earlier preferred Obert Gutu who is not a councillor to become mayor, but seems to have backed down from its insistence to chose the person from non-elected individuals., Party spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, said Manyenyeni had been the party’s preferred second choice behind Gutu.
“Manyenyeni has been our second choice because we were aware that Zanu (PF) would throw spanners in our quest to provide Harare with a mayor (from unelected individuals),” he said.
“What is important is that the choice of Councillor Manyenyeni was a democratic process while the other person was imposed by Mugabe,” said Mwonzora.
Manyenyeni holds a Masters degree in Strategic Management. He has over 20 years’ experience in the financial services sector and is currently the general manager of a local insurance company.
COMMENTS
Good Luck to Mayor Manyenyeni.
However as long as the entire staff of the City of Harare are employees of the Ministry of Local Government, Minister Ignatius Chombo will always interfere with the running of the city, usually for political reasons and also to protect his own corrupt activities.
My worry is MDC supporters are denied spaces for vending by zanupf youths in a city they run. Go to the councils offices looking even for a car wash space which does not need much you don’t get it but zanupf youths do it glaring without council approval and norhing si done about it. One youth actually told me we do it under the directions of our party yet MDC is running the council why not allow the youths to also do their projects without hindrance from zanupf youths?
Congratulations Mayor Manyenyeni
Congratulations, Amhlophe Mr Manyenyeni….Harare can once again be “that Shining City on a Hill” The most vibrant city South of the Sahara
Well done Bernard. We your classmates at Gina we be behind you no matter what