The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
THE Government has advised Bulawayo City councillors not to allow outside influence on the renewal of the city Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube’s contract but follow proper procedures.
Councillors, a couple of weeks ago passed a resolution to extend Mr Dube’s contract by a further five years when it expires in September. However, the extension was met with harsh opposition from the MDC-Alliance, the parent party of 27 of the 28 councillors who partook in the vote.
This saw six of the councillors inclusive of the Mayor, Councillor Solomon Mguni being barred from the party’s provincial offices and ordered to reverse this decision if they were to be allowed back into the offices.
In an interview with Sunday News on Friday, Local Government and Public Works Minister Cde July Moyo said the councillors knew the processes to follow.
“They know the processes to follow in such a scenario and I am confident those are the processes they have followed, we now wait for them to submit the resolution to the ministry,” said Cde Moyo.
His sentiments come at a time when the MDC-Alliance provincial leadership was forced to cancel a meeting that was meant for their provincial offices last Friday where some of the councillors were meant to justify their decision to renew the town clerk’s contract.
The meeting had been called by the party’s provincial deputy chairperson, Councillor Felix Mhaka.
Confirming the cancellation, Clr Mhaka claimed this was done in consultation with the rest of the provincial leadership.
“Yes, we had to cancel that meeting but we will be rescheduling it to a later date. It is not to say councillors will be forced to reverse the decision to extend the town clerk’s contract but we want party members to be on the same page.
“I know in the past there has been some animosity regarding the town clerk, but this time councillors will get an opportunity to say their side so we can be on one page with party members,” said Clr Mhaka.
Cllr Mguni was barred together with other members of the General Purposes Committee, which is made up of council committee chairpersons, who are Clrs Mlandu Ncube (finance and development), Sikhululekile Moyo (Future water supplies and water action), Lilian Mlilo (Health, housing and education) and Earnest Rafomoyo (Environmental management and engineering services), Pilate Moyo (Town lands and planning). Clr Rafamoyo was the only one in the meeting who did not concur with the decision to renew Mr Dube’s contract.
MDC-Alliance provincial spokesperson Mr Swithern Chirowodza was quoted in the local media confirming the ban of the councillors, saying they will only be allowed to access party offices when they reverse the decision to renew Mr Dube’s contract.
“Bulawayo province is distancing itself from renewal of the town clerk’s contract. The position of the party was that the job is flighted and those with the relevant qualifications apply.
We will not endorse the renewal of the contract of the town clerk as he is linked to Zanu-PF. As a result, those behind the renewal of the town clerk’s contract will not be allowed to access the provincial offices until they reverse that decision,” said Mr Chirowodza.
