Confusion over mayoral appointment

MDC-T councilors here, who last week elected ward three councillor, Martin Moyo, as the city’s mayor, have vowed to defy the party should the High Court rule in favor of appointing unelected mayors.

The MDC-T dominated council last week elected Moyo and Ernest Rafamoyo as mayor and deputy mayor respectively during elections which were presided over by Blessing Chebundo, the party’s secretary for local government.

However, the party insists Moyo and Rafamoyo’s final confirmation as the city’s top citizens will depend on the outcome of the High Court application which the party submitted following the government’s threats to bar the party from submitting mayoral candidates who were not elected in the July 31 local government elections.

An urgent application by the party on the matter has already been dismissed by the High Court. The party had appointed National University of Science and Technology lecturer, Mandla Nyathi, as its preferred candidate but councilors who spoke to The Zimbabwean said the issue of the mayor and his deputy was a done deal.

“Even if the High court rules in favor of the party, we will not support Nyathi’s candidature. We have already elected the mayor and his deputy. The party should respect our decision,” said one of the councilors who refused to be named for fear of victimisation.

The council mayoral elections have caused divisions in the party, with the provincial leadership insisting that it was not informed about the elections.

“As a province we do not recognise the elections. In fact, we did not hear about the elections. If indeed the election took place, we were not consulted,” said Albert Mhlanga, the party’s provincial organising secretary.

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