Drama as councillors demand removal of Mugabe portrait

THERE was drama at the Gweru City Council chambers on Thursday when MDC-T councillors demanded that former President Robert Mugabe's portrait be taken down, as he was no longer head of State.

The full council meeting proceedings were briefly interrupted after ward 3 councillor, Nokuthula Mbano (MDC-T) raised a point of order that the portrait should be removed.

"Your worship (the mayor) a point of order please, may the portrait of the former President be removed," she said.

Mayor Charles Chikozho concurred and said the issue had been previously deliberated on before a municipal officer was ordered to take down the portrait.

The visibly nervous municipal police officer took time to remove the portrait much to the amusement of councillors in the chambers.

Ward 1 councillor, Hamutendi Kombayi then said the municipal police officer should move with speed before announcing that the portrait be replaced with that of incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

"Move with speed my friend to remove that portrait and it should be now replaced by that of the crocodile [Mnangagwa]," Kombayi said.

Meanwhile, councillors unanimously agreed to shoot down a proposal by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa-Zimbabwe) to install wireless internet facilities at its information kiosk housed at Mkoba 6 council administration offices.

The councillors argued that such facilities would congest the administration offices and compromise security since council handled cash paid by ratepayers.

The councillors recommended that Misa be allowed to set put its internet facilities at an alternative site.

Residents currently access free newspapers, council documents and pamphlets among other things at the information centre.