Suspended … Harare mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni
The main reason for this has been the efforts by the City Council to recruit a Town Clerk who is a professional, non partisan and the best possible candidate for this very important post. The Minister wants the appointment of the Acting Town Clerk who is a Zanu PF activist. The real reason is to maintain the control that the Minister has effected in the past through a partisan Town Clerk.
This culminated in the suspension of the Mayor and he served the 45 day suspension – provided for the Minister time to investigate any allegations pending further action and when nothing came forward he resumed his post. He was in the Mayoral office for 24 hours when he was again suspended by the Minister. We took the issue to the High Court and yesterday the Ministers action was ruled as being unconstitutional and he was made to pay costs. When the Mayor walked out of Court and prepared to go back to his office he was confronted by personnel from the anti corruption Commission, charged and then imprisoned in Police cells in Harare.
The accusation was abuse of office in the appointment of the new Town Clerk. This is simply ridiculous and is clearly politically motivated. After 12 years during which time we have had a anti corruption Commission, not one prosecution or arrest has been made. Now on completely spurious grounds, they have arrested a man who was just trying to do his job in a professional and non partisan manner. I am quite sure that the Courts will do the right thing and release him on bail or his own recognizance today but when this matter comes to Court and found not guilty, I will insist that the entire anti corruption Commission resign.
Savior Kasukawere is a political thug with a long track record of human rights abuse and corruption. He lives in a manner well beyond his salary as a Minister and any lifestyle audit would find clear evidence of unexplained wealth. The MDC has carefully recorded the activities of key players in this murderous regime and when change comes, he will get his day in Court and this time the charges will l be very serious. Fior me personally he has simply overplayed his hand on this matter and I am determined he will not get away with it.
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