Some city councillors believe that Local Government Minister, Ignatius Chombo, is more powerful than Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, say the two men who won a case against Chombo for illegal dismissal.
Councillors Maxwell Katsande and Johnson Zaranyika said after The High Court ruling last week they had all along known they were victims of ZANU-PF political machinations.
At one time Chombo had sent an emissary, councillor Herbert Gomba of ward 27 Glen-Norah to ask them to “only apologise to Chombo and their case would be over”.
“We all refuse. Gomba actually told us we were going to be fired and it happened as he had said. He also said PM Tsvangirai had less power than Chombo and would never rule this country so we should make money whilst we have the time,” Katsande said.
According to the councillors, Chombo has managed to buy some MDC City fathers by giving them stands.
Zanu (PF) ministers have demonstrated open contempt for Tsvangirai who, under the Global Political Agreement, is supposed to have equal powers with President Robert Mugabe.
Together with Katsande of ward 26, and Zaranyika of ward 39, Paul Gorekore (ward 3) and Silas Machetu (ward 25) were suspended and subsequently fired by Chombo over allegations of irregularly acquiring stands and forcing themselves into council houses and evicting sitting tenants.
However, on Tuesday High Court judge Barat Patel ruled that Chombo acted irrationally and ordered him to reinstate them.
Post published in: News