Some members of the Tshabalala Residents Association (TRA) have accused the Bulawayo United Residents Association (BURA) chairperson, Winos Dube, of overstepping his mandate and interfering in the operations of affiliate organisations by imposing parallel structures.
These residents added it was time for Dube to step down from his chairmanship position especially after contesting for a council seat representing the ruling Zanu-PF.
Dube has been at the helm for BURA, one of the oldest residents’ associations in the city for years.
A Tshabalala resident, Methuseli Mpofu, told CITE there was a conflict between residents who were now divided over the leadership of TRA since there were now two executives.
“There is one led by Albert Ndlovu which was elected in November 2019 and another that Dube imposed on November 2020. How can Dube interfere by putting someone to lead our association when he is not part of it? This is causing conflict in Tshabalala and we are trying by all means to avoid that. When we tried to question this, Dube sent out voice notes threatening us,” he claimed.
Another resident, Dennis Ngulube, noted that TRA leaders are chosen by Tshabalala residents and that election is done in line with the association’s constitution.
TRA’s constitution reads that the management of the association shall be vested in the Executive Committee of 16 elected at an Annual General Meeting called for that purpose, which shall determine and carry out the policies of the association.
Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected after every five years at an elective AGM convened for the purpose, which Ngulube said was on this basis that they voted for Ndlovu in 2019.
“TRA was formed in 1976 by the likes of SW Moyo, Aleck Nyathi, Chisale and the late Mthandazo Nde MaNgwenya and others who set these principles. Where does Dube get the mandate to appoint people yet we have our own constitution that allows us to elect leaders we want. Dube must explain where he derives the power to impose a Tshabalala executive we didn’t vote for,” he said.
In an interview with CITE, Albert Ndlovu insisted he was the ‘bonafide’ TRA chairperson but was now facing difficulties from the executive.
“The challenge is BURA as a mother body is trampling on TRA’s constitution and its own constitution that doesn’t allow it to interfere in the running of other associations. Dube imposed John Moyo who was the previous chairperson from 2013 and in his five years failed to hold any meetings with executives. That is why in November 2019 another election was held,” he said,
Ndlovu claimed this issue reflected badly on Dube who allegedly had overstayed his position in BURA.
“From 2013 up to date, Dube has not called for elections. He is irrelevant to the BURA system. The constitution says one leads for five years then seeks a mandate from other residents associations’. There’s nothing called life chairman but Dube is the only one running BURA. How is BURA transparent to residents when there is no treasurer. Who is managing the funds?” he said, arguing Dube was supposed to step down from BURA after campaigning for Zanu-PF in 2018.
“He is articulating Zanu-PF policies to the united residents of Bulawayo, which is not healthy. BURA is supposed to unite people regardless of political party so Dube should have resigned first to pursue political ambitions,” he said.
Reached for comment, Dube said these individuals were “power-hungry” and driven by selfish agendas.
“BURA is well structured and resident associations under it pay an affiliation fee. We are an umbrella body with 52 affiliates and the association led by Moyo subscribes to BURA. Ndlovu should not be taken seriously, if you were to ask him whether TRA pays subscriptions to BURA he would have nothing to show,” the chairperson said.
“I know one person who has a personal vendetta and a grudge against me because BURA relieved them. The truth is Ndlovu is not a BURA member. Maybe he has ambitions of being the BURA chair but I don’t see him as one.”
Dube claimed Ndlovu was not sincere, as he took advantage of Moyo’s hospitalisation to grow his leadership ambitions.
“Ndlovu was vice to Moyo but when Moyo was ill he actually imposed himself on the people. Now Moyo is back on his feet,” Dube said.
“It is folly to say I imposed an executive. Leaders choose themselves and TRA as an affiliate operates under principles and values of BURA. Whenever affiliates hold general elections, they invite BURA as the mother body to preside over the elections. I wonder who presided at the elections Ndlovu is talking about.”
Dube indicated that there was no clause in BURA’s constitution that one must step down after contesting in elections.
“Everyone has the right, when it comes to election time, to participate as per their constitutional right either by voting or by contesting for any position. That does not stop because one is in a resident association. Who is not into politics anyway? In BURA, we have residents with varied political interests as people have different interests,” he said.
Dube highlighted that BURA with its leadership training produced leaders who assumed top political posts.
“For example, we have Stella Ndlovu who was part of our executive and is now an MP (Luveve Constituency). After winning, she stepped down but said she would continue being a resident. Talk of BURA founding fathers, the late (senator) Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu and John Nkomo, the vice president died while subscribing to BURA, as it represented residents well,” Dube said.
