MDC-T senator commends expulsions of mayors and councilors

via MDC-T senator commends expulsions of mayors and councilors | SW Radio Africa by Tichaona Sibanda on Monday, September 23, 2013

Lilian Timveos, the MDC-T senator for Zvishavane and provincial chairperson for the Midlands south has commended her party for its swiftness in dealing with ‘rebellious’ mayors and councillors.

So far, two mayors from Mutare and Gweru have been recalled by the party and face expulsion, once a decision by the provincial executives is endorsed by the standing committee.

The latest to face the axe in the post-mayoral selection saga is Gweru mayor Hamutendi Kombayi and his deputy Artwell Matyorauta. The two were fired following the party’s provincial executive meeting in Gweru on Saturday. The meeting was chaired by Timvoes, the only female provincial chairperson in the MDC-T.

The party’s nominee for mayor was the trade unionist, Charles Chikozho and Kenneth Sithole as deputy. But eight MDC-T councilors together with Kombayi and Matyorauta defied party orders to come up with their own line-up.

The executive, which convened an emergency extra-ordinary meeting on Saturday, ordered the recalling of Kombayi and Matyorauta as well as the eight other councilors.

The councillors and mayors stand accused of ‘hobnobbing’ and ‘conniving’ with members of ZANU PF during the election of mayors last week Monday.

Timveos told SW Radio Africa on Monday that she welcomed the drastic actions by the party to expel rebel the mayors and councillors over indiscipline.

The senator said “there is no institution that can survive without discipline,” adding that each political party has well laid out rules and regulations which members are expected to adhere to irrespective of their divergent views.

“I have no problem with the MDC-T’s move for expelling these councillors if it is a matter of indiscipline. If a member misbehaves, the party executive should to take action. I am happy that we are receiving commendations from residents in Gweru as well as from party structures in the province for taking stern measures against the councillors over opposing party positions and violating the party’s code of conduct in council chambers,” she said.

Political analyst Dr Maxwell Shumba said while it is good for the MDC-T to recall its councillors, the party should go further and do some soul searching over the scandal.

“The councillors were voted on an MDC-T platform and where therefore expected to follow to toe the party line. However the party should examine the causes of why they acted like that,” Shumba said.

He added: “In the absence of that, there is a danger of getting new councillors (who) act in the same manner as these councillors did without identifying the causes.”

Meanwhile, the MDC-T in Harare has castigated comments by the newly appointed Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province Miriam Chikukwa for suggesting the Capital should be run in line with the ZANU PF election manifesto and nothing else.

On Friday, Chikukwa ordered MDC-T councillors to implement programmes outlined in the ZANU PF campaign manifesto. Speaking at a dinner organised by the Zimbabwe Youth Council in her honour following her appointment, Chikukwa said ZANU PF programmes should carry the day since it is the ruling party.

However, Obert Gutu, the MDC-T spokesman for Harare province said it is their constitutional responsibility to see to it that the Harare Metropolitan province is run in accordance with dictates of the new charter.

“I honestly wonder what this woman has been smoking. The concept of devolution is unequivocally enshrined in Section 264 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. She cannot wish devolution away, it is certainly not easy,” Gutu said.

He added: “Harare metropolitan will be run certainly not in terms of the whims and fantasies of people who appear to be totally ignorant of the existence of the concept of devolution.”