News / National
Mafume reinstated as Harare Mayor
25 Sep 2020 at 07:49hrs | Views
HARARE Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume will remain in office after the High Court granted a provisional order reinstating him at Town House until the matter is finalised in due course.
Through his lawyer, Advocate Sylvester Hashiti, Clr Mafume is challenging his recall by People's Democratic Party (PDP) secretary-general Mr Benjamin Rukanda for defying the party when he deliberately chose to contest for the esteemed the position of mayor under an MDC-Alliance ticket.
Justice Webster Chinamora granted the provisional order barring the recall with the consent of the Minister of Local Government and Public Works and Harare City Council.
The court also stayed the recall of Bulawayo Ward 4 Councillor Arnold Batirayi and Mutare Ward 12 Councillor Simon Chabuka, who were listed as the applicants along with Clr Mafume.
Clr Mafume early this month won a secret ballot at Town House and became the new city mayor after polling 19 votes against his opponent Clr Luckson Mukunguma's 14 votes. There was one spoiled vote.
Clr Mukunguma was Dr Thokozani Khupe's MDC-T's preferred candidate. However, Clr Mafume, was recently recalled by his party, the PDP, barely a month after being elected into office.
The MDC-Alliance controls most urban councils, and hundreds of councillors are being forced to choose between supporting Dr Khupe and a recall.
Harare alone has a 46-member council under the control of the MDC-A, which won 45 seats in the 2018 harmonised elections.
Zanu-PF has a single seat. Dr Khupe has so far recalled 24 MDC-A legislators, while moving to replace.
Through his lawyer, Advocate Sylvester Hashiti, Clr Mafume is challenging his recall by People's Democratic Party (PDP) secretary-general Mr Benjamin Rukanda for defying the party when he deliberately chose to contest for the esteemed the position of mayor under an MDC-Alliance ticket.
Justice Webster Chinamora granted the provisional order barring the recall with the consent of the Minister of Local Government and Public Works and Harare City Council.
The court also stayed the recall of Bulawayo Ward 4 Councillor Arnold Batirayi and Mutare Ward 12 Councillor Simon Chabuka, who were listed as the applicants along with Clr Mafume.
Clr Mafume early this month won a secret ballot at Town House and became the new city mayor after polling 19 votes against his opponent Clr Luckson Mukunguma's 14 votes. There was one spoiled vote.
Clr Mukunguma was Dr Thokozani Khupe's MDC-T's preferred candidate. However, Clr Mafume, was recently recalled by his party, the PDP, barely a month after being elected into office.
The MDC-Alliance controls most urban councils, and hundreds of councillors are being forced to choose between supporting Dr Khupe and a recall.
Harare alone has a 46-member council under the control of the MDC-A, which won 45 seats in the 2018 harmonised elections.
Zanu-PF has a single seat. Dr Khupe has so far recalled 24 MDC-A legislators, while moving to replace.
Source - the herald
