Govt Suspends Mafume & Two Other Councillors 

The Zimbabwean government has suspended an opposition party mayor, his deputy and a councillor in the country’s capital city, Harare, following allegations that they illegally distributed land to their relatives and friends.

In separate letters to Mayor Jacob Mafume, Deputy Mayor Luckson Mukunguma and councillor Anthony Shingadeya, Acting Local Government Minister Jenfan Muswere claimed that the trio violated some provisions of the Urban Councils Act.

Muswere claimed in the letters that a special investigation team has established that they engaged in the land scam.

Mafume, Mukunguma and Shingadeya claim that they are being abused by the state, which wants to install a Zanu PF-leaning commission in Harare.

Muswere said the three have been suspended without pay and are not allowed to conduct any business on behalf of the local authority inside or outside the Harare Council.

Mafume was recently granted bail after spending almost a month in remand prison for allegedly engaging in corrupt activities.

The three were unavailable for comment as they were not responding to calls on their mobile phones.

The MDC-T has been recalling councilors aligned to Nelson Chamisa’s MDC Alliance following a Supreme Court ruling that nullified Chamisa’s leadership of the party, once led by its founding president, Morgan Tvsangirai, who died in 2018.

The Thokozani Khupe MDC formation has recalled several Members of Parliament and councillors, saying it was following the court ruling.

The MDC-T held an Extra Ordinary Congress recently to replace Tsvangirai. Douglas Mwonzora was elected president in the controversial party election.

Credit: New Zimbabwe