MDC, Zanu PF square up in Chegutu poll

MDC, Zanu PF square up in Chegutu poll

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• Chombo appoints Makwavarara to run Harare

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By Staff Reporter

CHEGUTU residents go to the polls Saturday in a two-horse-race mayoral poll pitting the opposition MDC and Zanu PF.

The opposition is represented by incumbent mayor Francis Dhlakama, who is aligned to the Morgan Tsvangirai-led faction.

The other opposition faction headed by Arthur Mutambara initially indicated that it would field a candidate but failed to do so under unclear circumstances.

Dhlakama, who was a lone figure in the Zanu PF council, will face the ruling party’s Martin Zimani.

During his four year tenure stretching back to December 2001, Dhlakama was arrested on several occasions and suspended once in a move the MDC said was part of a grand plan by the Mugabe regime to destabilize opposition led councils.

Last year, the government reinstated 9 Zanu PF councilors who were found guilty of embezzling council funds and corruption by a parliamentary committee as well as by a government appointed audit team.

The Chegutu poll was supposed to be held last December, but was postponed due to local government minister, Ignatius Chombo and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s bungling.

Chombo also moved Harare mayoral elections that were supposed to be held this year to next year.

Opposition officials say Dhlakama and the fired Harare mayor Elias Mudzuri are arguably the most terrorised of all MDC mayors.

A day after he was declared the winner of the poll after beating Zanu PF’s Stanley Majiri, rowdy Zanu PF youths known as the Top Six forced him out of office armed with sticks and assorted weapons.

They alleged that Majiri, who polled 2 452 against Dhlakama’s 2 900, was the legitimate winner.

Dhlakama was only sworn in as mayor after he obtained a High Court order compelling the Town Clerk to administer the oath office to the new mayor in terms of the Urban Councils Act.

Majiri later filed an application in the High Court challenging his defeat but it was dismissed with costs.

Other elections will be held in Bulawayo’s wards 3 and 12, Kadoma ward 7, Binga ward 3; Bubi ward 20 and Zvishavane ward 2.
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