Victoria Falls residents want fired mayor back

VICTORIA FALLS residents have demanded the reinstatement of mayor Councillor Somvelo Dlamini, who was fired by the MDC-Alliance last week.

The Nelson Chamisa-led party fired Cllr Dlamini on Wednesday last week on allegations of bringing the party into disrepute by defying directives and undermining protocol among other charges.

The party accuses Cllr Dlamini of allegedly defying its decree to stand as deputy mayor and leave the mayorship for preferred candidate, Cllr Margaret Valley of Ward 1.

The residents convened an emotive meeting on Friday last week where they castigated Mr Chamisa and his party for meddling in local authority business.

They alleged that the resort town’s council had been captured by a cartel of councillors with personal political interests.

Residents resolved to stage a peaceful march this week to force the reinstatement of Cllr Dlamini.

“We voted for councillors so they can vote for a mayor, which they did,” said a resident, Mr Trymore Ndolo.

“Now, we have three councillors and some people want him out so they can impose somebody.

“Victoria Falls has been captured by a few evil and greedy people and we need to stand up and fight for our rights.”

Another resident accused “outsiders” of pushing a selfish agenda to take over Victoria Falls for corrupt tendencies.

“We want a person with our interests at heart to lead us,” he said.

“That is why we rallied behind (Cllr) Dlamini. If Chamisa thinks whoever they want to impose will occupy that office, he has to think twice.

“We have always been robbed of our rights and we don’t want this capture anymore.”

The residents’ association was tasked to organise the demonstration to the Victoria Falls municipal offices.

“We didn’t go to vote in Harare and why should we be ruled through a directive from Chamisa,” said a resident at the meeting became emotionally charged.

“We got to know Chamisa through Dlamini and all we want now is that our mayor be reinstated until he (Chamisa) comes to meet us here. Let’s have a peaceful demonstration against the issue of mayor because once we fail on this we would have failed our city.”

Residents demanded that one of the councillors allegedly working against Cllr Dlamini, Cllr Ephias Mambume of Ward 6, step down on moral grounds.

This is after Cllr Mambume was recently dragged to court by a married woman he had impregnated and dumped.

Victoria Falls Combined Residents’ Association chairman Mr Morgen Gazza Dube said they will notify the police about the march this week.