LOCAL Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo has reinstated former Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Somveli Dlamini as a councillor for Ward 9 after reversing his earlier decision declaring the seat vacant.

This comes as the other 10 Victoria Falls councillors met as a full council last Thursday and elected Ward 5 Cllr Richard Mguni (55) as the new mayor to replace Cllr Dlamini despite objection by management. Cllr Mguni (55) who has been a councillor since 2013, beat Ward 4 Cllr Patricia Mwale by six votes to four.

Cllr Mwale had been acting mayor since the expulsion of Cllr Dlamini. Minister Moyo reinstated Cllr Dlamini on the basis of a letter written by Mr Douglas Mwonzora who is secretary general of the MDC-T of 2014, as per the recent Supreme Court ruling which recognised Dr Th okozani Khupe as the party leader.

In a letter dated May 5 seen by Chronicle and written to Cllr Dlamini and Victoria Falls Municipality, Minister Moyo said the former mayor has been reinstated with immediate effect without loss of benefits.

“Following receipt of a letter from the secretary general of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) stating that it is reversing your recall, I hereby withdraw my letter of 25 March 2020 dismissing you from council. You are hereby re-instated as councillor for Ward 9 Victoria Falls Municipality without loss of allowances,” said Minister Moyo.

He did not say anything about the mayoral position. On March 25, Minister Moyo wrote to Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube advising that ward 9 was now vacant in terms of Section 278(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe as read with Section 129 (1) (k) of the same document, following expulsion of Cllr Dlamini by his party MDC –Alliance led by Mr Nelson Chamisa.

Minister Moyo had said the seat had been rendered vacant in terms of Section 121 of the Electoral Act and advised the local authority management to notify the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of the vacancy. Th e notice to Zec was made and Minister Moyo ordered that the municipality recovers all assets in Cllr Dlamini’s possession. It emerged Cllr Dlamini had written a resignation letter to Mr Dube on March 20 indicating that he was resigning from the position of mayor of Victoria Falls with effect from July 31, 2020.

The former mayor said he resigned following extensive consultation with his party leadership.

Cllr Dlamini did not attend last Thursday’s council meeting held at the Rest Camp to allow for social distancing as the usual council boardroom is too small to observe the one-metre apart sitting arrangement.

Mr Dube said: “We recognised the recall and we recognise the reinstatement.” Ward 6 Cllr Ephias Mambume moved a motion to elect a new mayor although municipal management had requested deferment of the matter to allow for time to further consult.

“The letter by the Minister is for us to take note of developments and there is very little we can do. However, aft er the former m a y o r ’ s resignation, the office becomes vacant and we should elect a replacement,” said Cllr Mambume.

Cllr Dlamini was expelled by MDC Alliance through a letter written by the party’s secretary Mr Charlton Hwende on February 24 on allegations of violating party rules and undermining protocol. Th is was the third time the Nelson Chamisa led party had fired Cllr Dlamini for allegedly defying his superiors before re-instating him since 2018.

MDC Alliance leadership wanted Cllr Dlamini to resign from his position as Victoria Falls Mayor to pave way for the party’s preferred candidate Cllr Margaret Valley of Ward 1.

Cllr Valley did not contest the Thursday election.

Cllr Dlamini approached the High Court challenging his party’s decision to recall him but later withdrew the lawsuit.