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Unconfirmed reports that fired Makwavarara dismissed
Tererai Karimakwenda, SW Radio Africa
August 06, 2007

http://allafrica.com/stories/200708061684.html

We received unconfirmed reports from our sources that the chairperson of the Commission running the capital, Sekesai Makwavarara has been dismissed by the man who installed her and has supported her for years, the minister of local government Ignatius Chombo. It is not clear why she has been fired or exactly when this took place. Makwavarara first hit the headlines when she defected from the opposition where she was a mere councilor, and joined Zanu PF. Soon after that Chombo removed the elected the mayor of Harare, Engineer Mudzuri, and the elected councilors illegally, claiming incompetence and corruption. He replaced them with a Commission that has run the capital for five years now. As chairperson of that Commission, Makwavarara quickly made news over her extravagant spending habits. She was accused of spending council funds for her personal use and purchased a huge house which belonged to the council at a ridiculously low price. Meanwhile service delivery in the capital deteriorated while Makwavarara and her Commission raised the rates for residents. Chombo refused to organize elections despite clear guidelines in the Urban Councils Act that call for elections after the first term of any Commission expires. The local government minister also defied several court rulings that said the Commission was illegal. Became extremely unpopular in Harare over the years, and the Combined Harare Residents Association has organised several demonstrations calling the removal of Makwavarara and the Commission. It is safe to say many Harare residents eagerly await confirmation of Makwavarara's dismissal.

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