The MDC–T dominated council fiercely resisted attempts by Chombo to appoint Zanu (PF) supporters to the council in 2008.
“Special councillors are supposed to represent a special group of residents, such as people with disabilities, or have special expertise in areas which elected councillors do not have,” the mayor, Thaba Moyo told The Zimbabwean in a recent interview.
“The people whom the minister appointed did not have such credentials and some had contested and lost the previous elections.This is why we rejected them and approached the courts,” said Moyo.
Chombo’s appointees includeTadibana Tshuma, David Ndlovu, Agrippa Nyathi, Denis Ncube, Ernest Marima and Tryphine Nhliziyo, who has since defected to Zapu. A highly-placed Zanu (PF) source said this week that Chombo has asked the party to submit a new list of names after realising that his plans to impose party activists upon the council had been thwarted.
“Chombo has realised that he will not win the case in the courts because the people whom he had appointed do not meet the requirements of special councillors as prescribed by the amended urban council act. So he wrote to ousted Zanu (PF) provincial chairperson, Isaac Dakamela asking for a new list,” he said.
The new list includes city lawyer Sabelo Sibanda, medical doctor Lillian Ncube, National University of Science and Technology lecturer Lawton Hikwa and Zanu(PF) official Joseph Tshuma.
“We know that special councillors are selected by Zanu(PF) officials. They should be simply called Zanu (PF) councillors, “said Goodwin Phiri, the secretary general of the National Association of Non Governmental Organisation.
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