News / National
Mugabe neutralises MDC-T power base
13 Sep 2013 at 05:56hrs | Views
THE MDC-T is claiming President Robert Mugabe's appointment of Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs to govern the provinces has effectively taken away the authority of provincial council chairpersons, the only opportunity that the party had to hold power in the country's two largest cities, Harare and Bulawayo.
After losing the presidential race and majority control in Parliament to Zanu-PF, the MDC-T had hoped to salvage some semblance of power by assuming control of the capital city and the country's second largest city.
"Mugabe seeks to cheat the Constitution by usurping the powers of the chairpersons of the provincial councils," MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said in an interview on Wednesday, adding: "He (Mugabe) wants to bring governors via the backdoor."
Mugabe, however, has the constitutional right to appoint ministers as he pleases – creating whatever portfolios that he may want to have in his government.
Legal expert Chris Mhike said Mugabe's strategy was to neutralise the MDC-T, but at a huge cost to the taxpayer.
"The appointment of Zanu-PF-aligned Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs is clearly designed to neutralise the power and influence of non-Zanu-PF chairpersons who will ascend to chairmanship of provincial councils by virtue of the domination of their political parties at local government level (in Harare and Bulawayo provinces)," Mhike said.
Simbarashe Moyo of the Combined Harare Residents' Association said the coming-in of such ministers for provinces was meant to disrupt the Harare and Bulawayo metropolitan councils and "kill" the MDC-T projects.
"It's meant to disrupt metropolitan councils and that person appointed to be minister will be Mugabe's eyes at provincial level. It marks the return of governors under another name. The MDC-T can have a chairman of the province, but he reports to the provincial minister.
"It will be a difficult task for the MDC-T to push their agendas in a metropolis like Harare. They will face resistance from minister (of Local Government Ignatius) Chombo and the new Minister of State for Provincial Affairs," Moyo said.
Harare Residents' Trust director Precious Shumba said the appointment of the provincial ministers meant interference in council operations.
"This is additional expense on the taxpaying public. The provincial councils and the metropolitan councils have to be allowed to execute their mandate without unnecessary political interference from the President's men and women. These are a burden to policy formulation and implementation of government programmes," Shumba said.
"Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs are governors by another name. The Constitution has no provision for governors, but has created provincial council chairpersons and chairpersons of the metropolitan councils of Bulawayo and Harare."
After losing the presidential race and majority control in Parliament to Zanu-PF, the MDC-T had hoped to salvage some semblance of power by assuming control of the capital city and the country's second largest city.
"Mugabe seeks to cheat the Constitution by usurping the powers of the chairpersons of the provincial councils," MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said in an interview on Wednesday, adding: "He (Mugabe) wants to bring governors via the backdoor."
Mugabe, however, has the constitutional right to appoint ministers as he pleases – creating whatever portfolios that he may want to have in his government.
Legal expert Chris Mhike said Mugabe's strategy was to neutralise the MDC-T, but at a huge cost to the taxpayer.
"The appointment of Zanu-PF-aligned Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs is clearly designed to neutralise the power and influence of non-Zanu-PF chairpersons who will ascend to chairmanship of provincial councils by virtue of the domination of their political parties at local government level (in Harare and Bulawayo provinces)," Mhike said.
Simbarashe Moyo of the Combined Harare Residents' Association said the coming-in of such ministers for provinces was meant to disrupt the Harare and Bulawayo metropolitan councils and "kill" the MDC-T projects.
"It's meant to disrupt metropolitan councils and that person appointed to be minister will be Mugabe's eyes at provincial level. It marks the return of governors under another name. The MDC-T can have a chairman of the province, but he reports to the provincial minister.
"It will be a difficult task for the MDC-T to push their agendas in a metropolis like Harare. They will face resistance from minister (of Local Government Ignatius) Chombo and the new Minister of State for Provincial Affairs," Moyo said.
Harare Residents' Trust director Precious Shumba said the appointment of the provincial ministers meant interference in council operations.
"This is additional expense on the taxpaying public. The provincial councils and the metropolitan councils have to be allowed to execute their mandate without unnecessary political interference from the President's men and women. These are a burden to policy formulation and implementation of government programmes," Shumba said.
"Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs are governors by another name. The Constitution has no provision for governors, but has created provincial council chairpersons and chairpersons of the metropolitan councils of Bulawayo and Harare."
Source - newsday
