News / National
Fresh bid to oust Kombayi as factionalism escalates in MDC-T
23 May 2015 at 11:18hrs | Views
MDC-T national executive council member and Mkoba MP Amos Chibaya has reportedly launched a fresh bid to oust Gweru Mayor Humutendi Kombayi.
This follows last week's failure by a clique of councillors to pass a vote of no confidence on the vibrant city father. The group of councilors led by Ward 11 councilor Albert Chirau had claimed Kombayi deserved to be deposed because he had failed to deal with a stand-off between council and workers who recently went on strike demanding outstanding salaries.
However, though the matter seemed to have been resolved after the MDC-T's provincial executive blocked Kombayi's ouster while workers returned to work after VP Emmerson Mnangagwa compelled the local authority to sign up a commitment document detailing how it would urgently settle their dues, sources told The Zimbabwean that Chibaya still insisted the mayor should be re-called.
The sources pointed out that the outspoken politician who had preferred Charles Chikozho, the ZCTU central region para-legal officer to become the mayor ahead of Kombayi soon after the 2013 elections, maintains that fresh blood is needed at the council.
"Chibaya has never appreciated Kombayi being the mayor since the time when Chikozho was seconded by the MDC-T in 2013 to hold that seat. He is therefore taking the current stand-off between disgruntled workers and council to push for Kombayi's ouster. The first move to do so hit a brick-wall but the MP is re-grouping and hoping to use his influence at the MDC-T's national executive council to overturn the province's block of the mayor's ouster," said a close source.
Another source indicated that the MP recently urged the council workers to resume their industrial action if their dues are not settled in order to turn on the heat on Kombayi.
Contacted for comment, Chibaya denied the reports.
"Those allegations that I want the mayor ousted are unfounded. They are with no basis. Infact that is daylight propaganda. I would be more interested in talking more about pressing issues that are affecting the general populace due to Zanu (PF)'s mismanagement of the economy.
Things like the demonstration we had as MDC-T last week would be worth speaking of rather than these other trivial issues," he said.
Meanwhile, MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Friday held a meeting with all the city's councillors at the MDC-T headquarters in Harare where he urged unity among the city fathers. He also threw his weight behind Kombayi. It is understood that Tsvangirai encouraged the councilors to bury the hatchet and look beyond personal differences.
This follows last week's failure by a clique of councillors to pass a vote of no confidence on the vibrant city father. The group of councilors led by Ward 11 councilor Albert Chirau had claimed Kombayi deserved to be deposed because he had failed to deal with a stand-off between council and workers who recently went on strike demanding outstanding salaries.
However, though the matter seemed to have been resolved after the MDC-T's provincial executive blocked Kombayi's ouster while workers returned to work after VP Emmerson Mnangagwa compelled the local authority to sign up a commitment document detailing how it would urgently settle their dues, sources told The Zimbabwean that Chibaya still insisted the mayor should be re-called.
The sources pointed out that the outspoken politician who had preferred Charles Chikozho, the ZCTU central region para-legal officer to become the mayor ahead of Kombayi soon after the 2013 elections, maintains that fresh blood is needed at the council.
"Chibaya has never appreciated Kombayi being the mayor since the time when Chikozho was seconded by the MDC-T in 2013 to hold that seat. He is therefore taking the current stand-off between disgruntled workers and council to push for Kombayi's ouster. The first move to do so hit a brick-wall but the MP is re-grouping and hoping to use his influence at the MDC-T's national executive council to overturn the province's block of the mayor's ouster," said a close source.
Another source indicated that the MP recently urged the council workers to resume their industrial action if their dues are not settled in order to turn on the heat on Kombayi.
Contacted for comment, Chibaya denied the reports.
"Those allegations that I want the mayor ousted are unfounded. They are with no basis. Infact that is daylight propaganda. I would be more interested in talking more about pressing issues that are affecting the general populace due to Zanu (PF)'s mismanagement of the economy.
Things like the demonstration we had as MDC-T last week would be worth speaking of rather than these other trivial issues," he said.
Meanwhile, MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Friday held a meeting with all the city's councillors at the MDC-T headquarters in Harare where he urged unity among the city fathers. He also threw his weight behind Kombayi. It is understood that Tsvangirai encouraged the councilors to bury the hatchet and look beyond personal differences.
Source - zimbabwean
