Suspended Gweru Councilors Attack Minister Chombo
One of the suspended councillors Albert Chirau, claims that Zanu PF is spearheading their removal from office for political purposes.
WASHINGTON DC — Some councillors of the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai in Gweru, who were suspended by Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo over allegations of abusing their offices and council property, say they are not surprised of being pushed out of the local authority. Chombo’s letter dated 21 May suspended the trio with immediate effect. One of the suspended councillors, Albert Chirau, claims that Zanu PF has been vowing to remove them from office in order to reduce the number of the opposition party’s councillors in the city for its political machinations. Chirau is accused of leasing a club house in his Ward 11 and also for selling sand and pocketing the proceeds, while Moses Marecha of Ward 5 is also implicated in the sand sale deal. Another councilor Kenneth Sithole of Ward 4 is alleged to have beaten up a council employee. Chirau says it is on record that Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and some Zanu PF officials want to take control of the whole of the Midlands province. “Emmerson Mnangagwa, his wife and Zanu PF political commissar Savior Kasukuwere all said they want to get rid of MDC councilors, so we are not surprised,” said Chirau. The three councillors' attorney, Brian Dube, told Studio 7 he wanted to first see if there is a legal framework that allows the minister to suspend the councilors. Mnangagwa and Kasukuwere were not available for comment as their mobile phones were not reachable.