Kambarami resigns as Bulawayo Deputy Mayor

Embattled Deputy Mayor of Bulawayo Tinashe Kambarami has resigned. He verbally resigned during an interface meeting between Bulawayo Councillors and MDC Leader Nelson Chamisa on Sunday at the MDC Bulawayo Offices.

Kambarami had been given 7 days to resign a s Deputy mayor or risk being expelled from the council.  His resignation paves way for new elections for a deputy mayor by Councillors. Former supermarket paper bag packer Mlandu Ncube is tipped to take over the position.

Ncube quit his job at a local supermarket amid indications that he is set to take over from Kambarami.

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.

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.

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.

More to follow…