Kambarami retains Deputy Mayor position

Bulawayo Deputy Mayor  Tinashe Kambarami has democratically retained his position as Deputy Mayor of Bulawayo uncontested after Councillor Mlandu Ncube chickened out of contesting him in a mock election held at the Bulawayo MDC offices on Monday.

Kambarami had verbally resigned from the Deputy Mayor position on Sunday after MDC Leader Nelson Chamisa dressed him down for disregarding the party whipping system that had instructed Mlandu Ncube to be Deputy Mayor.

Announcing on Facebook, seasoned journalist Zenzele Ndebele said, "Tinashe Kambarami has won the deputy Mayor position in the party uncontested ."

Congratulatory messages began to pour on Kambarami s wall.

Innocent Chirongo Shumba: Cllr Tinashe Kambarami was re elected to the position on Deputy Mayor , Thanks to the cllrs of Bulawayo for respecting President CHAMISA. I salute u all.

Farai Mteliso: Welshman Ncube your plot was flawed. Tinashe Kambarami has been unanimously returned as the Deputy Mayor of the City of Bulawayo.

Former supermarket paper bag packer Mlandu Ncube was tipped to take over the position after Kambarami's resignation on Monday. Ncube quit his job at a local supermarket amid indications that he was set to take over from Kambarami.

Ncube, who is the councillor for ward 1, was the party s preferred choice for deputy mayor initially, but was beaten to the post in elections held at the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) chambers.

BCC councillors are allegedly 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 said a faction led by the mayor had 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.

The issue was brought to a finality today with legal experts saying Kambarami was still Deputy Mayor because he had not yet tendered his resignation to the Deputy clerk in accordance with the Urban Councils Act.