The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has dismissed the recent meeting convened by Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Harare city councillors saying it was illegal.
The councillors had last Friday defied local government minister July Moyo’s directive not to get involved in council activities including electing a mayor of their choice and proceeded to vote for ward 35 Councillor Enock Mupamawonde as acting Harare mayor.
In a letter dated April 26, 2022 to the Acting Town Clerk, acting secretary in the Ministry one L. Mudyiwa said the decisions of the meeting are null and void.
“The above matter refers. Reference is made to the letter dated 20 April 2022 by the Honourable Minister. It has come to my attention that on 22 April 2022, an illegal meeting was convened where an Acting Mayor was elected.
“We have observed that this meeting which purportedly elected an Acting Mayor was not properly convened as there was no declaration of vacancy and no notice by the Chamber Secretary to convene the meeting, hence it was an illegal. Therefore, whatever decisions and resolutions made during that meeting are null and void. Councillor Mutizwa who has been the Acting Mayor must continue in that acting capacity until Jacob Mafume’s issues are finalised by the Court and or Tribunal,” said Mudyiwa.
Recently, suspended Harare Mayor and CCC secretary for local government Jacob Mafume accused Minister Moyo of trying to punish urban citizens for voting against Zanu PF.
“We understand that the Minister of Local Government is desperate to punish the urban populations for voting against Zanu PF. We know he has a mandate to exercise extreme cruelty to the residents of the cities. He is exercising it in a crude fashion,” Mafume told journalists at a Press conference in Harare last week.
