By Matabeleland North Correspondent
THE MDC Alliance has suspended another councillor in Victoria Falls on allegations of insulting the party’s provincial chairperson Prince Dubeko Sibanda.
The suspension comes only a few weeks after the expulsion of the resort town’s mayor Somveli Dlamini.
Sibanda, who is Binga North MP, wrote to Ward 10 councillor Nkanyiso Sibindi accusing him of indiscipline following a message on WhatsApp in which the under-fire councillor allegedly circulated denigrating the provincial chair for failing in his leadership position.
Sibindi becomes the party’s second casualty in Victoria Falls in less than a month after Dlamini, who has since taken party president Nelson Chamisa to the High Court over his expulsion from the party as well as recalling him as councillor.
Dlamini’s offence came after he defied the party’s directive to step down as mayor and pave way for the party’s preferred candidate, Margaret Varley.
The party had directed that Dlamini should instead stand as Deputy Mayor.
The party provincial chairman Sibanda convened a meeting recently after which Sibindi followed up with a scathing message.
Read part of the message by Sibindi: “Dictatorship signs emerging: This is to notify our provincial chairman Hon PD that we thought you came to Victoria Falls for consultative meetings while you came to meet your colleagues to tell us what to do and we will never accept such ‘nincompoopery’ and we thought you are a good father but you have proven beyond doubt that you are full of yourself and you think being a chairman will make you turn Mat North to an army barrack and we won’t listen to you. Go back to drawing board and revise your leadership skills. Asambeni Sibone.”
However, Sibanda responded by suspending Sibindi.
“REF: Suspension from the party pending disciplinary hearing. You are hereby suspended from your position as organising secretary for the youth assembly for Hwange West CCC pending a disciplinary hearing. Your suspension is based on a WhatsApp message you sent of the National Youth Assembly and Mat North leadership insulting the
provincial chairman.
“Your conduct is prima facie disrespectful and seeking to undermine an elected official of the party in contravention of the party constitution. The chairperson of the party will notify you of the date, time and venue of your disciplinary hearing. By this suspension you are barred from conducting any party business until the matter is finalised.”
Meanwhile, former mayor Dlamini was Tuesday further remanded in a case in which he is charged with criminal abuse of office.
This is after he allegedly sold a housing stand in 2017 allocated to him by the local authority as part of his benefits as a councillor.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) arrested Dlamini last month.
He has not been asked to plead to criminal abuse of office and magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa further remanded him to March 24 as the State is yet to finalise investigations.
He is out on $1 500 bail.
