Zimbabwe
Harare mayor suspended by govt

afrol News, 30 April - The Zimbabwean government yesterday suspended Harare Mayor Elias Mudzuri from his post, alleging mismanagement and anti-government political activity. Mr Mudzuri, one of the Zimbabwean opposition's front figures, condemned the government decision as "political".

Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo accused the Harare Mayor of mismanagement and therefore suspended him from his office. Mr Chombo has earlier led verbal attacks against Mayor Mudzuri. The Minister has been given wide authorities by President Mugabe to control local government, especially in the country's two major cities, Harare and Bulawayo, which both are controlled by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Mayor Mudzuri during the last months has faced fierce critiques over water shortages, due to the council's inability to procure water treatment chemicals. The MDC member however holds his administration has been denied basic supplies by the Mugabe government in an effort to produce poor results for the opposition council.

The Mayor has also been arrested twice while in office for addressing meetings police described as a political gathering. According to the government, Mr Mudzuri was also crossing the line when allegedly encouraging council workers to take part in the two recent general strikes against the Mugabe regime.

According to the government decision to remove Mr Mudzuri, the office of Harare Mayor will now be given to the Deputy Mayor, Sekesai Makwavarara, who also is an MDC member. Further, a committee of inquiry would be appointed next week to investigate government's allegations against Mr Mudzuri.

The suspended Mayor himself refused to accept the orders of Minister Chombo, saying he was elected by the people and was a believer in democracy. "I will listen to the residents," he told the press in Harare. "If they say I have to go through a referendum, I will go. But I will not take heed of the dirty tricks which the Minister is playing."

Harare has developed into the stronghold of the opposition and the popular Mayor's leadership was to become a showcase of MDC rule. However, Mr Mudzuri says he has not been "allowed to work" by central government. Instead, the Mayor has developed into a symbol of resistance to the unpopular regime.

Since his popular election last year, Mr Mudzuri therefore has been a thorn in the eye of the Mugabe regime. The Zimbabwean President therefore even launched plans earlier this year to install governors to oversee the running of the provinces of Harare and Bulawayo in an effort to curb the MDC's power there.

Meanwhile, Minister Chombo was given increased powers to oversee local government and has kept a special eye on the Harare council. According to Mr Mudzuri, his council was barred from borrowing money and from access to foreign currency during the last year, making it impossible to fulfil its tasks. This lack of fulfilment now was turned against Mr Mudzuri as "mismanagement".

 

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