(Last Updated on September 24, 2015 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – A last minute intervention by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai saved Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni from being deposed through a no confidence vote, NewZimbabwe has learnt.
Tsvangirai, according to sources, hastily summoned the capital city’s city fathers to diffuse tensions as tempers boiled over triggered by reports that Manyenyeni had insulted fellow councilors.
Media reports in the past two weeks claimed Manyenyeni had claimed most councilors are “uneducated and therefore unable to understand or undertake the technical demands of running the country’s biggest city.
Last week, the majority of the 35 MDC-T councilors in Harare reportedly then signed a petition that was supposed to be handed over to the party leadership.
However it has since emerged that only 12 hand signed and Tsvangirai took advantage.
Only 12 of us signed and the president (Tsvangirai) took advantage, summoned us to Harvest House (MDC-T headquarters).
He ordered us to get back to work and unite. He was very professional because he took no sides although we were certain he was supporting the Mayor.
Manyenyeni was told to come up with a program to capacitate councilors, said a councilor on condition of anonymity.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu confirmed Tsvangirai’s intervention.
Some of these issues are not for public consumption but I can indeed confirm that the president had to make sure the differences were resolved for the good of the city.
The councilors need to work together and these things (differences) do happen even in the most stable of homes. It was nothing really and its all water under the bridge now, said Gutu.
He added that council would now concentrate on achieving its targets of delivering effective service to residents.
Contacted for comment, Manyeneni denied ever making any derogatory remarks about his colleagues.
In my remarks that have been referred to nothing was derogatory or insulting but just a call for complementary skills and backgrounds, said Manyenyeni.