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MDC mayors meet to restrain Chombo on his corruption escapades
Movement for Democratic Change
January 11,
2011
All the mayors
and chairpersons of the MDC-run councils meet in Harare on Wednesday
to craft a lasting solution on ways to deal with Ignatious Morgen
Chiminya Chombo, the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban
Development, following fresh evidence they have unearthed on the
Zanu PF politburo member's incessant meddling in local governance,
public policy formulation and, on his own corruption escapades.
The meeting, a follow-up to a series of similar engagements dominating
discussion in local government in the last quarter of 2010, shall
debate the progress made in restraining the wayward Chombo from
inflicting damage to the smooth running of almost all towns and
cities.
Chombo, under
a cloud of corrupt land deals literally covering the whole of Zimbabwe,
has been on the warpath to confuse investigations into his personal
affairs through suspensions and dismissals of popularly elected
representatives. Under the banner of the Democratic Mayors'
Forum, when they last met the council leaders recommended a parliamentary
inquiry into Chombo, arguing that any delays are likely to see a
total disruption of local authorities and a setting up of new unelected
channels of governance at the behest of Chombo and Zanu PF.
Since Zanu PF
lost the 29 March 2008
elections, Chombo has sought to interfere with the running of
local authorities, intimidating progressive and hard-working councils
and dismissing councillors he dislikes under the selective cover
of sections of the Urban
Councils Act. In Harare, for instance, Chombo has so far unsuccessfully
tried to frustrate a comprehensive probe into a string of land corruption
scandals in which Zanu PF officials and him are deeply involved.
Attempts by the council to file charges against Chombo with the
Zimbabwe Republic Police have attracted a mealie-mouthed response
and was officially ignored by the police.
Instead, those
councillors who investigated Chombo were arrested and charged with
criminal defamation, thus allowing the Zanu PF strongman and his
cohorts to get away without even a minimum censure. Wednesday's
meeting is expected to attract representatives from towns as far
afield as Kariba, Chiredzi and Beitbridge. The MDC has made it clear
that Chombo's case has to be pursued to its logical conclusion
if order and service delivery is to be restored countrywide. The
last Democratic Mayors' Forum was attended by President Tsvangirai
and the entire MDC leadership.
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