MDC-T picks Bulawayo mayor

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T, which swept all council wards in Bulawayo, yesterday finally broke their silent over the appointment of a new mayor for the city, saying it will name its choice for the top job before the end of the week.

MDC-T provincial chairman Gorden Moyo yesterday said his party was in the process of concluding the selection of mayor.

Outgoing Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo, also the MDC-T national chairman, has been tipped to land the post previously occupied by Thaba Moyo.

The MDC-T chairman was defeated in last month's elections by Zanu-PF's Never Khanye in Matobo constituency and is allegedly being backed by the party's vice-president Thokozani Khpe.

"A decision will be made by the party as soon as possible," Moyo said.

"We are consulting our structures because the issue of who becomes the mayor is a very serious matter.

A number of people have applied and the party is looking for a person with the requisite skills, capacity, political stamina and economic and business acumenship."

Other contenders for the post are lawyer Kucaca Phulu, local businessman and farmer Joubert Mangena, businessman Gift Banda, returning councillors Earnest Rafamoyo and Martin Khumalo as well as National University of Science and Technology lecturer, Mandla Nyathi.

"The party will come up with a decision on the individual who will be able to drive Bulawayo industry regrowth, infrastructure rehabilitation and make Bulawayo alive again," Moyo said.

"Bulawayo is a dying city hence the issue of a mayor is a very serious one."

The outgoing Speaker of Parliament was quoted last week saying he would gladly take up the mayor's post, describing it is a deployment.

"If my party and people of Bulawayo decide on who they want as their mayor choose to appoint me, I will not resist," he was quoted saying. "My party comes first and I will accept any deployment."