Bulawayo councillors are reportedly plotting to defy party leader Nelson Chamisa’s directive to vote for David Coltart and Dumisani Nkomo for the city mayor and deputy mayor position, respectively.
Chamisa endorsed Coltart, a lawyer and former minister, as the party’s mayoral candidate in Bulawayo, while Nkomo, a civil rights campaigner, was touted as the deputy mayoral candidate.
However, it has emerged that some councillors are planning to go against the party directive and elect other councillors for the posts.
The election for the city’s new mayor was meant to be conducted after the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday but was postponed to Monday after the local government ministry ordered all councillors to attend an induction meeting in Gweru on Thursday and Friday.
CITE has it on good authority that some senior party officials in Bulawayo summoned the councillors on Wednesday morning before their swearing-in ceremony and subjected them to interviews to choose their preferred candidates.
A councillor who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the plot which involves some senior party officials in Bulawayo.
“The challenge is that there are people who want to go against what the party planned. There are external people, with huge amounts of money and with ulterior motives (of corruption) who are trying to push for their candidates to be elected on Monday,” the source said.
“They don’t want Coltart and Nkomo because they know they will not bend to their demands. There are reports that some councillors have already been given money by these people. We also have it in good authority that they are hoping if Mabuto is the one to be elected as deputy mayor, then they can ride on that to push for their candidates again to chair strategic council committees to push their agenda. It’s a pity because if they fall into this trap they will be recalled. That is the party position.”
CCC national spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said the party has clear instructions on how the two positions will be filled.
“As a party, we work with clear guidelines. Bulawayo has been advised accordingly on who will be mayor, and that is David Coltart. He was even endorsed at a rally in the city. As for deputy mayor, the councillors there have been told who has been chosen by the party. Any other rumour will not be entertained and the party members are expected to act according to the guidelines of the party,” Mkwananzi said.
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