Just In: Jacob Mafume elected new Harare mayor
reports say CCC leader Chamisa had earlier attempted to recall him as Ward 19 councillor
Harare- FORMER Harare mayor Jacob Mafume has bounced back as Mayor after the seat had been left vacant with the departure of Lovejoy Mandengu who was recalled ,Express Mail Zim can report.
Mafume was sworn in Thursday at Town House after defeating other contenders ‘hands down’.
Reports reaching Express Mail Zim suggest that CCC leader Nelson Chamisa had earlier made efforts to recall Mafume late Thursday afternoon.
Chamisa is said to have writen a letter of recall for Mafume who is councillor for Harare Waed 19.
According to information obtained, the letter has been delivered to the Minister of Local Gvt by one of the CCC Lawyers. Reasons for the recall are yet to be established and efforts to get comment from national deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba proved fruitless at the time of writing.
Mafume has been in and out of Town House.
He 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 being moved to the 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 has been afforded 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 MP.
Mafume ‘s election comes as no surprise since he has widely been touted as the favourite to become the next chief policy maker of Harare because of his 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.
