News / National
Aspiring Bulawayo deputy mayor quits supermarket full-time job
02 Nov 2018 at 02:14hrs | Views
A LOSING Bulawayo deputy mayoral aspirant Mlandu Ncube has quit his job at a local supermarket amid indications that he is set to take over from deputy mayor Tinashe Kambarami, who was recently given a seven-day ultimatum by MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa to step down from the position.
Ncube, who is the councillor for ward 1, was the party's preferred choice for deputy mayor, but was beaten to the post in elections held at the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) chambers.
In the vote by the councillors, Kambarami got 16 votes while Ncube got 13 votes.
However, the party has since directed that Kambarami steps down from his position or face expulsion for defying a party directive.
BCC councillors were already divided along factional lines over the deputy mayor issue amid reports that Kambarami was being sidelined by the mayor Solomon Mnguni and his faction in council programmes.
Bulawayo MDC Alliance provincial chairperson Gift Banda yesterday could neither deny nor confirm that Ncube will replace Kambarami.
"We will stand guided by the party. For now, we are still waiting for Kambarami's response. It is the party's decision and we will follow whatever decision is taken," Banda said.
Kambarami refused to comment about the matter yesterday.
Reports say a faction led by the mayor has been lobbying the party leadership to force Kambarami to step down to pave way for Ncube on grounds he was the party's initial preferred choice before he was beaten to the post in elections.
The issue had also turned regional with Kambarami's opponents claiming that he was an "outsider" in Bulawayo who did not deserve the post.
Some pressure groups had also waded into the debacle, holding protests pushing for Kambarami's recall.
Ncube, who is the councillor for ward 1, was the party's preferred choice for deputy mayor, but was beaten to the post in elections held at the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) chambers.
In the vote by the councillors, Kambarami got 16 votes while Ncube got 13 votes.
However, the party has since directed that Kambarami steps down from his position or face expulsion for defying a party directive.
BCC councillors were already divided along factional lines over the deputy mayor issue amid reports that Kambarami was being sidelined by the mayor Solomon Mnguni and his faction in council programmes.
Bulawayo MDC Alliance provincial chairperson Gift Banda yesterday could neither deny nor confirm that Ncube will replace Kambarami.
"We will stand guided by the party. For now, we are still waiting for Kambarami's response. It is the party's decision and we will follow whatever decision is taken," Banda said.
Kambarami refused to comment about the matter yesterday.
Reports say a faction led by the mayor has been lobbying the party leadership to force Kambarami to step down to pave way for Ncube on grounds he was the party's initial preferred choice before he was beaten to the post in elections.
The issue had also turned regional with Kambarami's opponents claiming that he was an "outsider" in Bulawayo who did not deserve the post.
Some pressure groups had also waded into the debacle, holding protests pushing for Kambarami's recall.
Source - newsday
