'I want to continue as Gweru Mayor'

GWERU mayor Charles Chikozho has expressed interest in retaining his mayoral post should he win the upcoming elections where he is standing as MDC Alliance candidate for ward 10.

Chikozho said his council had lined up several projects to improve service delivery in the city and they were hopeful of coming back to complete them.

"I want to be the next mayor because we have resolutions we put in place, which have to be fulfilled," Chikozho said yesterday at a public discussion dubbed Citizen Conversations with Aspiring Candidates.

"We have started road rehabilitation programmes after receiving $2,6 million from Zinara and it is my dream to make sure that these and other projects are successful."

Chikozho's position comes amid reports that a notable number of MDC Alliance council candidates, all of them from the MDC-T party, are interested in the top position at town house.

He (Chikozho) was sworn in as mayor on March 9 last year, the same day former mayor, Hamutendi Kombayi was fired on allegations of mismanagement and abuse of funds by the commission appointed by the then local government minister, Saviour Kasukuwere.

Kombayi, however, bounced back after the High Court ordered his reinstatement in November last year after absolving him from the charges he was facing.

Although Kombayi could not be reached for comment, sources close to him revealed that he was interested in bouncing back as mayor should he win as councillor for ward one.

Other councillors said to be interested in the top job include ward 2 and 11 aspiring councillors, Josiah Makombe and Albert Chirau.

Meanwhile, Chikozho said council has plans to build a "big" market stall to accommodate informal traders in the city. He said the city had many abandoned vending stalls, with traders preferring illegal points in the Central Business District as they compete for potential customers.