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| City of Mutare mayor Blessing Tandi |
…as
Mwonzora fires deputy mayor, six others
Felix
Matasva
City of Mutare mayor Blessing Tandi has
said the firing of seven councillors by then MDC-T secretary general Douglas
Mwonzora in December last year has impacted service delivery in the border town
as seven wards have been left vacant without council representation.
Mwonzora fired seven councillors
including the deputy mayor for supporting MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa.
Ward 4 councillor Edson Kalulu, Ward 5 councillor
Simon Mapuvire, Ward 8 councillor Sophia Gwasira, Ward 9 councillor Chrispen
Dube, Ward 17 councillor John Nyamhoka, Ward 18 councillor and Deputy Mayor
Kudakwashe Chisango and Ward 13 councillor Monica Mukwada were all chopped in
the recent purges by Mwonzora in his last act as the secretary general.
Tandi said they had built a team and
the recent purging disrupted all the activities leaving huge gaps that have a
bearing on service delivery.
“It has been over two years of working
together and we had made a solid team which was working to ensure that the
people receive the best services.
“It is sad that the team has been
destroyed by the firing of seven councillors among them the deputy mayor. What
this means is that the team is now incomplete and as a result service delivery
suffers.
“Who will be hearing the voices of the
people in the seven wards? It is quite unfortunate but we have to wait until
there are replacements through by-elections,” said Tandi.
City of Mutare has a total of 19 Wards.
Mutare has been recognized as one of
the best run cities in the country in terms of service delivery but Tandi said
the firing of the councillors would put a strain on the remaining councillors
who would have to cater for the orphaned wards.
City of Mutare recently lost its Town Clerk, Joshua Maligwa, who succumbed to Covid-19.
