REINSTATED Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Somveli Dlamini
has disowned a letter he reportedly wrote resigning from the mayor’s position,
saying the MDC Alliance leadership drafted it and forced him to append his
signature.
Cllr Dlamini, who had been in the doldrums of politics
since February 24 when the MDC Alliance leadership expelled him on allegations
of violating party rules and disrespecting protocol, said he never resigned.
Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo
reinstated Cllr Dlamini as a councillor for Ward 9 last Tuesday.
Minister Moyo took the decision on the basis of a letter
written to him by Mr Douglas Mwonzora who is secretary general of the MDC-T as
per the recent Supreme Court ruling which recognised Dr Thokozani Khupe as the
party leader.
While the local authority’s other 10 councillors welcomed
his reinstatement, they quickly replaced him with Ward 5 Councillor Richard
Mguni in the mayor’s office saying he comes back as an ordinary councillor
because he resigned.
But in an interview yesterday, Cllr Dlamini said he is
still the legitimate mayor of Victoria Falls and the election of Cllr Mguni as
his replacement on Thursday is a nullity.
“I didn’t write that letter. The last part of the letter
states that I would write to the Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube and I didn’t do that
either which means that I haven’t resigned from council as mayor. If you look
at that letter it was addressed to Charlton Hwende (MDC Alliance secretary) and
not to the Town Clerk or the Minister hence I didn’t notify the Town Clerk of
my resignation in terms of the Urban Councils Act. The party leadership brought
the letters and asked me to sign under duress. That election (of Cllr Mguni) is
null and void because of the Supreme Court ruling and because I didn’t write a
resignation letter. I would say that council meeting was a bogus meeting and
the person who was elected is unlawfully in office. He is illegitimate as I was
elected and sworn in”, said Cllr Dlamini.
His purported resignation letter dated 20 March reads: “Following extensive consultation with the national
leadership of the party, I hereby give notice of my resignation from the
position of Mayor of Victoria Falls with effect from 31 July 2020. I would like
to thank the party and councillors of Victoria Falls for giving me the
opportunity to have served the people of Victoria Falls as a Mayor for the last
two years. I will also be withdrawing the High Court application I had filed. I
am grateful to the leadership of the party for the kind and candid guidance
given to me and for the amicable settlement of this matter…. I will be writing
the formal letter of resignation addressed to the Town Clerk upon my return to
Victoria Falls next week.”
It was copied to Messrs Nelson Chamisa, Welshman Ncube,
Tendai Biti, Elias Mudzuri and Victoria Falls Town Clerk Mr Dube.
Cllr Dlamini accused the MDC Alliance of duping him, saying
he agreed to withdraw the court case in which he was suing the party for firing
him in a deal with his superiors where they would have lifted his expulsion and
reinstated him but the leadership later reneged after his withdrawal of the
case.
Mr Hwende dismissed Cllr Dlamini’s claims saying he signed
the letter and also withdrew the court case on his own accord.
“It’s not true. How is that possible? He signed the letter
and went on to withdraw the court application on his own accord. His
reinstatement is illegal in this case as well,” said Mr Hwende.
Minister Moyo reinstated Cllr Dlamini to the mayor’s
position in a letter dated May 5.
Cllr Dlamini said the letter was enough to return him to the
office as its contents were similar to the one that expelled him which he said
was silent about the position of mayor.
“I am the legitimate mayor of this town because I have been
reinstated. What was written in the letter of recall is what was written in the
reinstatement letter. They will not swear him (Cllr Mguni) in because they are
aware they acted illegally, “ said Cllr Dlamini.
He said even if the seat had been declared vacant, it was
wrong for the councillors to allow a person other than an outgoing mayor or
deputy mayor to preside over the election.
Cllr Prince Thuso Moyo presided over the election as Deputy
Mayor Cllr Patricia Mwale who had been acting mayor, had declared interest in
the position.
Cllr Dlamini said for an election of mayor to have gone
ahead, Government should have declared the seat vacant.
Asked if he had crossed the floor to the Khupe-led MDC-T,
Cllr Dlamini said: “I can’t comment on that now. I will work with whoever wants
to work with me for our people. Some of the councillors have openly expressed
that they won’t work with me. It’s unfortunate that there is no independent
thinking among councillors. This is a matter that affects policy making at
local level but you find the party using the whipping system which is not proper.
“
Mr Dube said the local authority will be guided by the
Ministry. He said no date has been set to swear in Cllr Mguni.
On Thursday the municipal management had insisted that the
election be deferred to allow for time to consult. Chronicle
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