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The Herald
Municipal Reporter
Just a month after his election, Harare Mayor Alderman Jacob Mafume has been summoned by his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a fact that is likely to result in a new poll.
The withdrawal of Clr Mafume, a lackey of the troubled MDC-Alliance, comes as efforts to restore sanity in the stinking corruption councils that are run by the opposition gather momentum across the country. It also comes as the rightful MDC-T leader, Dr. Thokozani Khupe, recalled 11 councilors on the Harare Council last week.
In a letter seen by The Herald, PPD Secretary General Benjamin Rukanda said that Mafume had ceased to represent the party’s interests and thus the retirement.
“Following the resolution of the national executive committee of our party held on September 12, 2020, we hereby notify your good office and also declare in terms of article 278 as read with article 129 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe that the following councilors they no longer belong to the Popular Democratic Party, ”reads part of the letter.
Apart from Clr Mafume, the other councilors who were elected from the PDP list but are now considered to have ceased to represent the interests of the party are Bulawayo Ward 24 Clr Arnold Batirai Dube and Mutare Ward 12 Clr Simon Chabuka.
The letter also states that PDP was a member of the MDC-Alliance that was formed in terms of the consultative agreement signed on August 5, 2017 for and on behalf of the party by Mr. Tendai Biti.
The letter stated that, under the agreement, seven political parties entered into a pre-election agreement known as a Composite Political Agreement in order to hold the 2018 elections.
“In terms of this agreement, the member parties preserved their individual identities. Our party was the party to which these councilors belonged at the time of the 2018 elections, ”the letter reads.
“The listed members, by virtue of clause 6.4 (a) of the Constitution of the Popular Democratic Party, have automatically canceled their membership in said party.”
Attempts by the Biti faction in the PDP to block the withdrawal of Clr Mafume hit a brick wall after the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo, indicated in a letter that she recognized Mr. Rukanda’s faction Directed by Mrs. Lucia Matibenga.
In the September 18 letter, Minister Moyo said: “I am referring to your undated letter that was received in my office. The letter referred to is on behalf of his client, an honorable member of the Chikwinya parliamentary agreement representing the People’s Democratic Party. I do not receive any communication from the Honorable Chikwinya. “
“Since then, I have received a communication through a letter from the office of the secretary general of the Popular Democratic Party, whose address is No.6 Norbert House, corner Kwame Nkrumah and Harare Street.”
Minister Moyo said that since then he has acted according to his mandate to comply with constitutional provisions.
