MDC suspends councillors taking bribes from ZANU PF

via MDC suspends councillors taking bribes from ZANU PF | SW Radio Africa  by Mthulisi Mathuthu  November 15, 2013  

The MDC-T this week suspended three Victoria Falls councillors on allegations of receiving bribes from ZANU PF government minister Obert Mpofu, a local daily paper reported Friday.

A Daily News report said Ritchie Mguni, Norris Nyathi and Robson Salimu were suspended Wednesday ‘after a thorough probe’ for allegedly taking bribes from the transport minister. The three are to appear before disciplinary hearing within the next seven days.

The paper quoted the MDC-T provincial chairman for Matabeleland North, Sengezo Tshabangu, confirming the suspension on the basis of what he termed ‘strong evidence’ that the three had indeed taken bribes from Mpofu.

Allegations against the three are that they took bribes from Mpofu and then voted for a ZANU PF candidate during the mayoral elections two months ago.

The probe into the conduct of the three arose after Sifiso Mpofu of ZANU PF was elected mayor, despite the fact MDC-T had seven councillors against ZANU PF’s three, suggesting that MDC people had sold out. But according to SW Radio Africa correspondent Lionel Saungweme there is more to the development than meets the eye.

Mpofu, who is also the MP for Umguza, has previously denied ever meeting the three suspended MDC-T officials.

According to Saungweme the three councillors’s conduct in voting for a ZANU PF mayor could be nothing more than a protest against the imposition of candidates on the electorate by the MDC-T leadership. Saungweme added that there was ‘deep anger’ amongst the MDC-T members throughout the country over the imposition of candidates during the past election, leading some members to voting against their party.

Only a month ago the MDC-T suspended Gweru Mayor Hamutendi Kombayi and four other councilors, for defying party orders to rally behind party nominees during the mayoral elections.