Mayor flees irate councillors

Harare mayor Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni had to flee from rowdy councillors who were baying for his blood, demanding that he steps down following remarks attributed to him describing some of them as "functionally illiterate" or "uneducated". The councillors are alleged to be in the process of drafting a vote of no confidence against the mayor.

Mr Manyenyeni has since backtracked on earlier statements attributed to him, saying the city's councillors lacked essential skills to ensure smooth running of council.

However, he conceded that there were certain skills he felt must be brought on board to complement their mandate. On Saturday mayor Manyenyeni was supposed to address the councillors in Kadoma at a workshop to discuss the introduction of prepaid meters, but left in a huff after smelling that the environment was not conducive.

"The mayor who had just arrived from France, drove to Kadoma where councillors were gathered to discuss the pre-paid water meter systemintending to address them.

"He checked into the hotel and left his bag in the hotel, but he was informed that some councillors were baying for his blood so he returned to his car and sent his aide to check out of the hotel before leaving for Harare," said a councillor.

Mayor Manyenyeni yesterday confirmed the development, but refused to disclose details. "What you are saying is what I am also hearing," he said without elaborating.

However, other sources said the issue of describing councillors as illiterate or uneducated was a scapegoat as some of them were not happy with the mayors' decision to reshuffle council committees.

Another councillor yesterday criticised the mayor for berating councillors in public. "Any leader who is a good leader cannot berate his troops in public. He seems not to know the difference between education and wisdom. Some of us may not be educated, but we can make wise decisions for council.

"As we speak, the best Member of Parliament is Joseph Chinotimba (Buhera South), but he did not receive the best of education," he said. The councillor confirmed that the animosity with the mayor was so deep that some councillors had drafted a vote of no confidence that was expected to be presented to MDC-T leadership on Thursday.

The councillor, however, conceded that it was an uphill task for the councillors to dismiss the mayor. "You cannot chase the mayor of Harare like a dog. I can foresee that the mayor will stay put but a divided council is imminent because even the zanu-PF councillors were irked by the remarks attributed to the mayor," said the councillor.

Mayor Manyenyeni last week said the remarks he made about the need for certain specific skills and experience in council had been exaggerated.

"At no point in my speech did I use "functionally illiterate" or "uneducated". I mentioned certain skills which I feel must be brought on board to complement our mandate. I am sure that the task before us requires legal minds, technical people, finance people, certain experience and exposure etc. This should not be contested given the history, size and extent of our mission to serve the cities," he said.

He said the remarks he made were in good faith for the future of councils and may have hurt some people in and outside of council and eroded their images and esteem. Successive MDC-T-dominated councils have been rapped for presiding over the chaos in Harare manifest in flagrant disregard of city by-laws, proliferation of illegal settlements, the kombi and pirate taxi menace as well as the vendor problem that made city pavements impassable.

His predecessor Mr Muchadei Masunda made similar remarks.