Councillors vow to defy MDC-T

PROBLEMS bedevilling the MDC-T in Bulawayo continue mounting with the city's councillors declaring that they will defy the party again on the issue of election committee chairpersons.

A number of councillors who were ousted from their posts have since last week been on a campaign trail to get other councillors in their camp ahead of the vote for a chairperson for the health, housing and education committee, which was scheduled for last night.

Deep divisions continue to rock the party's councillors who are reportedly disgruntled over the party's "meddling" in council affairs.

The MDC-T top leadership has since responded by threatening councillors who were "causing chaos" in the party with unspecified disciplinary action.

It was agreed at a meeting at the party's Bulawayo provincial headquarters that Councillor Monica Lubimbi of Ward 29 should be voted into the chairperson's position for the Health, Housing and Education Committee.

The meeting was reportedly chaired by the party's secretary for local governance, who is also the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Urban and Rural Development, Mr Sesel Zvidzai.

Last week, councillors openly defied the party and voted Ward 25's Clr Edward Ndlovu into the powerful Finance and Development Committee, instead of the party's choice, Clr James Sithole of Ward 7.

They also elected Clr Ngwalo Nyathi of the Professor Welshman Ncube-led MDC as deputy chairperson of the Future Water Supplies and Water Action Committee.

This was also against an agreement at the meeting, to exclude MDC councillors from all posts that were up for grabs.

Of the 28 councillors in the city, 24 are from the MDC-T, while the rest are from MDC.

In interviews before yesterday's vote, a number of councillors said they were not fazed by the party's threats.

"These people pledged to never interfere in the running of councils. We are surprised that they are now telling us who to vote for. That is why we boycotted the crisis meeting that they called after last week's ‘protest' vote. Today, we will also elect whoever we want," said a councillor who asked not to be named.

Another councillor said those who were removed from the posts were bitter and were therefore waging a bitter war against the smooth running of the elections.

"The problem with the party's leadership is that they are too weak to take the necessary action to restore order. I have text messages from two councillors who were removed from the positions (names withheld). As you can see, they are asking me to be in their camp as we vote today. There are now so many divisions and factions over a simple issue that could have been solved with a little firmness. The empty threats will not work," said the councillor.

Another councillor said the party had become a toothless bulldog as councillors refused to attend meetings on the issue, as they were aware that nothing would be done to them.

Contacted for comment, Mr Zvidzai said he was unaware of the war going on among Bulawayo councillors.

"I am waiting for a report on the situation from my council chief whip. At the moment, we cannot say anyone has done anything wrong. When I get the report, we would then be in a position to take action," said Mr Zvidzai.

He, however, could not be drawn into specifying the action that would be taken, saying it all depended on the contents of the report.

Ward 6's Clr Jennifer Bent moved the motion that resulted in the farcical scramble for the influential chairpersons' positions.

Chairpersons of council's standing committees become members of the General Purposes (GP) Committee and are entitled to perks that include all expenses paid trips and attractive subsistence allowances.

Clr Bent's motion resulted in the removal of chairpersons who had been holding the posts since the present crop of councillors came into office in 2008.

It resuscitated a council tradition of electing new chairpersons into the GP in August every year.

Spirited opposition by incumbent councillors resulted in the motion being stopped several times, before it was finally passed due to overwhelming demand by other councillors.

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