IF the proverbial cat has nine lives then former Mayor Jacob Mafume can be said to have the same if he bounces back as next Harare Mayor.
Probability is high!
Mafume first assumed the mayoral position in 2020 when he was Human Resources Committee Chairperson and councillor for Ward 17.
He defeated Luckson Mukunguma in an election conducted at the Town House.
He received 19 votes, against Mukunguma who received 14 votes.
He replaced Herbert Gomba who was recalled by MDC T led by fickle and witty politician Douglas Mwonzora.
During his stint he has been suspended a record four times when July Moyo was then minister of Local government before been moved to ministry of public services which is less fashionable.
The suspensions were on December 2020, January 2021, September 2021, and December 2021.
Like the proverbial cat he bounced back in 2022 after 45 days.
This was after High Court judge Justice Joseph Mafusire had ordered July Moyo not to interfere with Mafume’s work at Town House.
Moyo had on all occasions accused Mafume of gross misconduct, gross incompetence, and willful violation of the law.
And now he stands another shot as Harare’s chief policy maker with the advent of self appointed CCC interim secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu who has torn apart CCC.
Tshabangu has shredded the opposition party and recalled more than 50 elected MPs including the mayor Ian Makone.
Makone’s recall left the mayor’s position vacant and Mafume is the front runner.
The recalling of Makone was a thorn in the flesh for CCC and forced the citizens movement to seek a High Court order to restrain the marauding Tshabangu from making recalls.
The CCC national deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba charged and dismissed the mayor’s recall.
” The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party has been made aware of another viral letter circulating on social media, purportedly penned by the impostor Sengezo Tshabangu, falsely claiming to represent our movement and initiating the recall of our Harare-based councillors, including Mayor lan Makone and his deputy, Kudzai Kadzombe,” Siziba said.
Mafume is the favourite to become the next chief policy maker of Harare because of his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) background and militant stance including his vow that Harare City Council will not pay US$3,5 million to Geogenix BV Limited after cancelling the much-publicised deal with the Netherlands-based company.
Speculative reports suggest that the remnants of PDP are the ‘handlers’ and ‘masterminds’ behind Tshabangu’s shenanigans.
This was given credence by a leaked telephone conversation between Tendai Biti and an unnamed party as reported by local online publication newssourcesonline.
Other potential candidates include Happymore Gotora and Lovemore Makuwerere who are however staunch Nelson Chamisa loyalists.
Tshabangu is a game changer , don’t hate the player , hate the game!
