Suburban
Acting Mayor for Harare Councillor Stewart Musarurwa Mutizwa says the return of suspended Mr Jacob Mafume as mayor will only cause confusion where operations had started to normalise at the City of Harare.
Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter
In an interview, Cllr Mutizwa said Mr Mafume is forcing himself into office but warned his adversary that he will face the consequences of his own actions.
“This time he went a bit further.
“He came to Town House on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, he never used to.
“I was out of the office and heard of his return by the Minister (Local Government July Moyo) so I avoided going back to the office,” said Cllr Mutizwa.
The acting Mayor said despite the so-called return of Mr Mafume, he is still in charge.
“I am still in charge and that is the legal position,” he said.
Cllr Mutizwa said he will be back in office on Monday.
“Most meetings that were supposed to be held at the office were cancelled due to the confusion,” he said.
Mr Jacob Mafume
Meanwhile, Mr Mafume insists that he is in charge.
He told Suburban that he officially returned to Town House on Monday last week.
Mr Mafume also told this reporter that he was back in office during a recent residents’ meeting in Bloomingdale to discuss service delivery issues.
“I returned on Monday as my suspension has expired.
“Cllr Mutizwa remains as Councillor and will continue to chair the committees that he was chairing.
“He was acting only because I was suspended,” said Mr Mafume.
Sources say before his return to Town House, Mr Mafume was attending council functions including funerals of officials.
Mr Mafume attended a Bloomingdale residents meeting held recently where he was invited in his capacity as Mayor of Harare.
At the Bloomingdale meeting, he responded to council matters raised by residents.
The confusion over who is the mayor is disrupting council operations.
A full council meeting which was scheduled for this Tuesday failed to take place because there was no quorum, according to the City of Harare.
The meeting was supposed to he held virtually but there was no quorum because the majority of the councillors were experiencing connectivity problems.
“Today’s (Tuesday, August 24, 2021) full council meeting failed to proceed because there was no quorum due to connectivity issues. A date for the rescheduled meeting will be announced in due course,” council announced in a notice on its official Twitter page.
The full council meeting was initially scheduled for Thursday last week but was postponed to Tuesday this week in the wake of reports of confusion at Town House following the claims by suspended Mayor — Mr Jacob Mafume that he was back at work while Acting Mayor Councillor Stewart Mutizwa says he is still in charge.
“The full council meeting which was supposed to be held today (Thursday) was postponed to Tuesday next week to allow for more time to councillors to study and comprehend the full council minutes. The meeting will be held virtually,” the City of Harare said in a notice last week.
On Wednesday last week, Mr Mafume reportedly occupied the mayoral office, claiming his suspension had ended but his car and the driver were still working for Councillor Mutizwa.
Both officials claimed that they were in charge of the city creating confusion on who was going to be in charge of the full council meeting.
Mr Mafume is arguing that his suspension is over, clearing his way to resume duties as the Mayor of Harare. Councillor Mutizwa has been acting mayor since the suspension of Mr Mafume on allegations of criminal abuse of office arising from the allocation of housing stands in the capital city. He denies the charges.
Mr Mafume succeeded Mr Herbert Gomba who is also facing criminal charges at the courts.
Mr Gomba and his deputy Mr Enock Mupamawonde were subsequently recalled from council by the MDC-A while the People’s Democratic Party has also claimed it has recalled Mr Mafume from council who insists the action is invalid. When Mr Mafume was suspended, Councillor Luckson Mukunguma took over as mayor in an acting capacity but he was also suspended. Councillor Mutizwa was then made acting mayor following the suspension of Councillor Mukunguma.
“The position at law is that when one is under suspension and if it lapses, he or she automatically resumes his former position. My suspension lapsed way back but I was only sorting out some few things before resuming my work.
“Anyone who masquerades as the mayor is abusing the law as there is a danger that resolutions they make may be nullified,” Mr Mafume told The Herald on Wednesday last week.
Sources at Town House said the postponed full council meeting could have proved who is in charge of the council.
