The only ZANU PF Councillor in Bulawayo has called for the removal of MDC counterparts for allegedly victimising him on political affiliation.
In a letter addressed to Mayor, Solomon Mguni and copied to Town Clerk Christopher Dube as well as Chamber Secretary Sikhangele Zhou, the Zanu PF councillor accused the opposition councillors of unlawfully removing him from the powerful Business Investment Committee.
Councillor Kidwell Mujuru, who came on through a by election win, wrote the letter to the municipality’s management complaining about alleged unfair treatment by his counterparts.
“I am aware of a group of councillors from your party (MDC Alliance) who do not want me to serve the people of Bulawayo in the Business Investment Committee just because I am from the Zanu PF party.
“The same members moved and seconded each other to remove me from the Business Committee by purporting to ‘correct minutes’ of the meeting of the 4th of September, 2019,” reads part of Mujuru’s complaint letter dated October 7, 2019.
He also accused the MDC councillors of violating recommendations of the General Purposes Committee which he argued confirmed him as a member of the Business Investment Committee.
“Your worship, the so-called correction of the minutes has the effect of rescission of alteration of a council resolution without following ground rules. The said rescission or alteration of the resolution is unlawful, null and void,” he said.
Mujuru called for the removal of the MDC councillors claiming that they had breached 278(2) (e) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. “May I draw your attention to Section 278 (2) (e) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which states that willful violation of the law, including a local authority by-law, is a ground of removal of councillors from office.
“It is clear that your council violated the law in your absence. I, therefore, request that you put the council back to legality by urgently remedying the defect. I thought I must also advise you since the whole process was null and void,” further wrote Mujuru.
The MDC councillors reportedly booted out Mujuru following a meeting held on October 2 to allegedly ‘correct’ minutes of the September 4 meeting.