Eleven elected councillors and three Women’s Quota
representatives that make up the Victoria Falls council convened a full council
meeting in the boardroom to elect a new mayor and deputy when scores of
residents that attended the meeting demanded that the process be stopped.
They accused Mr Chamisa of imposing candidates, claiming
Bulawayo deputy mayor Mr Donaldson Mabutho, who was in the resort city, had
been sent with a directive for councillors to vote Ward 1 councillor Ephias
Mambume as mayor and Clr Priscilla Mhlanga of Ward 8 as his deputy.
Our Victoria Falls Bureau was told that some residents
chased Clr Mabutho away from the council premises before the meeting.
Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube had just concluded his opening
remarks and invited acting Hwange District Development Co-ordinator Mrs Shamiso
Masocha to lead the nomination process when civic activist Mr Trymore Ndolo
interjected calling for the process to be stopped.
Residents immediately went into chorus, shouting: “Chamisa
cannot impose a candidate for us, Harare cannot decide for Vic Falls”.
They vowed to block any imposition of candidates ahead of
their choice.
“Mr Town Clerk, before you give to madam Masocha. We
believe that as Victorians in terms of regional balances we have to balance
when it comes to leadership positions. So, basically the CCC party has put a
position of a favoured candidate who is not favourable to the people of
Victoria Falls.
“So this meeting must adjourn right now. We are not
proceeding with this meeting,” said Mr Ndolo.
Mr Vusumusi Sibanda, who lost as an independent council
candidate in the August 23 elections, joined in while banging a table.
“This is the future of our children. This meeting must be
adjourned and we expect everybody to stand now and make his way out before it
gets terrible. This is the simplest way,” he said as residents broke into song
and dance singing “into’yenzayo Chamisa siyayizonda” (we don’t like what you
are doing Chamisa).
Management and other officials immediately bolted out as
the situation turned chaotic.
Residents continued singing as they left the boardroom and
filed into the courtyard where they gathered.
Continuing outside, Mr Sibanda said: “It’s better not to
have a mayor. If you people don’t understand, it’s better we have a commission.
We cannot have an outsider becoming a mayor.”
Another resident said they will not allow an imposed mayor.
“We are Victoria Falls, we cannot have a mayor from
Masvingo. Chamisa even lost in his home area of Masvingo and he wants to
dictate to us and impose his homeboy, we will not allow that,” she said from
the crowd.
The police anti-riot team ordered the crowd to disperse and
advised council management to lock doors and leave.
Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association chair, Mr
Kelvin Moyo, said while residents’ concerns were genuine, the delay in electing
the mayor and deputy might affect the running of council.
“Councillors are supposed to start work but cannot do so
because of this impasse. Many councils have already elected their office
bearers. A council cannot operate without a mayor and committees for oversight
so this dispute should be resolved as soon as possible to avoid compromising
service delivery,” said Mr Moyo.
He said residents have made it clear that they want a local
to be elected mayor and CCC should respect that.
A resident, Mr Johnson Ndlovu, also known as Joe Muff said:
“We want a mayor to be someone from here who represents our interests.”
Another resident Mr Herbert Ncube accused the opposition
party of undermining democracy.
“People have made it clear that they don’t want an imposed
mayor. This is not democracy, people should make decisions because they know
the person who can deliver when it comes to running council affairs,” he said.
Town Clerk Mr Dube said council will seek direction from
central Government on the way forward.
“This was our first council meeting after elections as we
sought to have the election of the mayor and council committees. What happened
is that as we entered the boardroom it was already full with residents,” he
said.
Mr Dube said because of the chaos, they decided to stop the
elections and seek guidance from the Ministry of Local Government and Public
Works. Herald
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