Rebel Zanu-PF councillors suspended

THE Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial leadership has suspended four recently-elected councillors at Chiredzi Town Council from the party, accusing them of letting down the revolutionary party by allowing the opposition MDC-Alliance to bag the council chairmanship in the sugar-growing town.

Zanu-PF, which has four councillors in the town, failed to land the chairmanship, which was won by councillor Gibson Hwende (MDC-Alliance).

This sparked outrage as Zanu-PF controls four wards in the town to the MDC-Alliance’s three while the eighth ward is under an independent candidate.

Councillor Hwende bagged five votes to prevail over councillor Blessing Mazinyani of Zanu-PF, who got three votes in the chairmanship race. This means one of the Zanu-PF councillors did not vote for councillor Mazinyani.

The Zanu-PF provincial co-ordinating committee has since issued the four ruling party councillors with prohibition orders after the Chiredzi Town Council chairmanship gaffe.

Party provincial secretary for Information and Publicity, Cde Ronald Ndava, said the ruling party leadership was disturbed by what happened in Chiredzi Town last week.

“The province was briefed about shameful events which saw us (Zanu-PF) lose the chairmanship of Chiredzi Town where we enjoyed a numerical advantage and just wanted our councillors to unite and win the post,” said Cde Ndava.

“We thus resolved to serve the councillors with prohibition orders and they will be called for disciplinary hearings in due course after which we will take the necessary steps going forward.