MDC vows to bring Harare to a standstill
The MDC yesterday warned that it would bring business to a halt in
Harare if Elias Mudzuri, the suspended executive mayor, was not allowed to
resume work on Monday.
Gabriel Chaibva, the MDC shadow minister of Local Government, Public
Works and National Housing, told journalists at a Press briefing that he had
instructed the mayor to report for duty as usual on Monday morning. Mudzuri
has been on sick leave since Thursday.
Chaibva said: “Let them bring the riot police to Town House. We will
bring business in Harare to a complete halt. We are not making a mere
threat. This is for real.”
Chaibva said the party was not worried about the economic
repercussions of disruption of business in the country as it had the
capacity to resuscitate the economy in a “post-Mugabe era”.
On Thursday night the council held a special meeting and resolved to
advise the police that the ban they imposed on consultative meetings with
residents at Town House “is unreasonable as it is the council’s duty to
consult with residents, ratepayers and stakeholders on civic matters”. The
police on Wednesday banned further meetings after residents at the weekly
meeting advocated demonstrations in support of Mudzuri.
Chaibva alleged that Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo was
trying to protect the financial interests of several companies and officials
the council is investigating for alleged theft and corruption.
He said: “The cow has been stopped from giving milk.”
Chaibva said Chombo was sitting on a report on theft and corruption
that was unravelled in the Chegutu Municipality by his own officials and was
instead concentrating on Harare.
Meanwhile, Chombo yesterday filed an urgent chamber application in the
High Court seeking to bar Mudzuri from performing his duties, and the
council from working with him.
Chombo said the matter is urgent because Mudzuri’s “behaviour greatly
embarrasses myself, the government and all the law-abiding citizens of
Zimbabwe”.