Chitungwiza Town Council has elected suspended mayor Gift
Tsverere to act in the same position pending finalisation of a High Court
challenge brought up by Zanu PF councillors.
Kiven Mutimbanyoka, a Zanu PF councillor for ward 13
approached the High Court seeking nullification of the mayoral election results
of September 4, describing the polling process as irregular and illegal. High
Court judge Justice Edith Mushore granted an interim order.
But on Wednesday, the councillors opted to elect Tsverere
as the acting mayor until the next full council meeting with the hope that by
then, the High Court case would have been finalised.
“I will be the acting mayor until the next full council
meeting. We hope that by then, the High Court would have resolved the issue,”
Tsverere said.
In his court challenge, Mutimbanyoka who lost the election
to Tsverere claimed no appropriate time was given for the elections; hence the
meeting where elections were conducted was not properly constituted.
Tsverere was suspended together with his deputy, Jabulani
Mtunzi and they were stopped from carrying out any duties as mayor and deputy
mayor respectively.
“My election as acting mayor means that I can act and do
certain duties on behalf of the city as prescribed by councillors. We know the
case will soon come to an end,” Tsverere said.
According to his notice of opposition filed through his
lawyers, Messrs Mavhunga and Associates Legal Practice on October 18, Tsverere
said although he and Mtunzi had decided “to eat a humble pie and consent to
Mutimbanyoka’s sought relief”, they wanted the latter to know that he “must be
day-dreaming if he harbours any minute chance of reversing the result in his
favour.”
In the election, Tsverere received 19 votes against two
received by Mutimbanyoka as three other councillors walked out before the
elections were conducted. Newsday
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