MDC bid to block Makwavarara Russian jaunt

MDC bid to block Makwavarara Russian jaunt

• Makwavarara's US$27 000 Russian jaunt

• Chombo's mistress settles $1,6bn suit

• Chombo's mistress and her famous conquests

• Chombo a love rat, says wife

• Chombo appoints Makwavarara to run Harare

• MDC expels Bulawayo councillor

• More MDC councillors quit Harare council

• MDC withdraws Harare councillors

• Makwavarara: 'I was always Zanu PF'

• MDC to withdraw Harare councillors

• Chombo expels 13 MDC councillors

• Councillors fight suspension in court

• Is Chombo dating Makwavarara?

• Deposed mayor Mudzuri sues Mugabe

• 'I am being harassed' - Mudzuri

• Mugabe fires Harare mayor

• Sibanda denounces Makwavarara

• Gwisai warns MDC

By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWE'S opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has lobbied the mayor of Moscow, Russia, to block an intended visit by Harare's acting mayor Sekesai Makwavarara.

The MDC's parliamentary spokesperson on Local Government and Housing, Trudy Stevenson, recently wrote to Juri Michailowitsch Luschkow advising that "any official reception for Makwavarara by the City of Moscow would be problematic to the vast majority of residents of Harare, the city she purports to represent."

The trip will cost US$27 000.

Makwavarara was originally elected as a Councillor for Mabvuku Ward on an MDC ticket. She was later expelled from the party for resisting party policy before she rejoined Zanu PF claiming she was "never part of them (MDC)."

The MDC withdrew its councillors from the Harare City Council last year. The party had won 44 of the 45 seats in Harare.

Makwavarara acted as mayor when the elected Executive Mayor, Elias Mudzuri, was suspended and then dismissed, and retained her elevated status, avoiding elections and committee meetings.

Local government minister Ignatius Chombo later appointed Makwavarara to the head of a commission running the affairs of Harare.

The commission's legitimate term of office expired on 9 June this year, but Chombo extended its life, ignoring an earlier Supreme Court ruling that a local authority commission's life cannot be extended beyond the initial 6 months.

The matter is currently on appeal before the Supreme Court.

Said Stevenson: "Apart from the questionable legitimacy of Makwavarara and her commission's tenure of office, I must bring to your attention the fact that the City of Harare is virtually bankrupt, so that any expenditure on trips outside the country for whatever reason cannot be condoned.

"The Town Clerk stated recently that the city cannot function because it has no fuel, no foreign exchange to buy spare parts to repair vehicles including ambulances, fire engines and refuse removal trucks, no foreign exchange to purchase chemicals to purify our water and repair the water and sewerage infrastructure.

"Makwavarara herself launched the vile "Operation Murambatsvina - Drive Out the Filth" - which was eventually extended nation-wide and resulted in destruction of the homes of at least 700,000 people who were left to sleep in the open in the depths of winter, the destruction of the livelihoods of some 2,5 million people in the informal sectors whose businesses were bulldozed, set on fire, etc and goods seized, and all the concomitant effects of this war against the majority poor citizens of Harare and elsewhere.

"These citizens are still reeling from the effects of this so-called Operation, and it will take us many years to fully recover from this man-made disaster.

"In the circumstances, I trust that you will appreciate the inadvisability of receiving Makwavarara and her delegation officially as Mayor of Moscow."
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com