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Zimbabwe: MDC Businessman Brian James Elected Mutare Mayor
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SW Radio Africa (London)
24 July 2008
Posted to the web 24 July 2008
Violet Gonda
Brian James, an MDC official who was once arrested for allegedly attempting to assassinate Robert Mugabe, has been voted in as the new Mayor of the City of Mutare.
The Mutare Council which is made up of all MDC councillors, was sworn in on Thursday and on the same day elected James as Mayor, placing their trust in a man who has been at the receiving end of a victimisation campaign by the regime.
Other senior MDC officials who were alleged by government to be involved in the assassination attempt included MDC Treasurer Roy Bennett and MP Giles Mutsekwa. This was the case that resulted in Bennett fleeing to South Africa. The state claimed it found an arms cache, meant to overthrow the Mugabe regime, at the home of an alleged ex-Rhodesian army officer Peter Hitschmann. Hitschmann remains in prison despite the case against the others being thrown out by a magistrate because of lack of evidence.
Brian James runs several businesses in Mutare, including an engineering company called Manicaland Welders, and his company Crest Distribution is a major distributor of chicken and fish in the province. He had a commercial farm in Old Mutare which was invaded and taken over in 2003. The 57 year old is also the provincial MDC treasurer.
Speaking on the day of his inauguration the new Mayor of Mutare said; "We have an overwhelming mandate, the mood on the ground is positive. The international recognition of what's happening in the country is gelling into something positive... The talks in South Africa we hope will yield something positive so urban areas can deliver."
The MDC won all 19 council wards that had been contested in Mutare, thereby regaining control of a council that had been taken over by Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo. In 2005 Chombo illegally removed the elected MDC Mayor Misheck Kagurabaza and the MDC led council, and imposed a caretaker commission made up of ZANU PF candidates who had failed to win in the previous council elections in 2003.
Chombo had also interfered in the operations of the Harare Council where he removed elected Mayor Elias Mudzuri in 2003, Misheck Shoko in Chitungwiza and had also frustrated the Mayors and councillors in Masvingo, Gweru and Kwekwe, Bulawayo and Kariba, accusing them of misconduct and maladministration.
Over the years ZANU PF has caused the steep decline in the delivery of council services as a result of the appointment of Commissions that were not accountable to the ratepayers. Cities across the country are now plagued by constant power and water cuts, burst sewage pipes and uncollected garbage.
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James said: "Certainly we don't underestimate the problems we face and our endeavours will be a lot easier if central government was sympathetic to our problems and that is why we are hoping that these talks in South Africa yield something positive. But we have to deal with what we've got."
hey kubakuba..akafunnyboy...quick..quick..check this out..your fellow zimbabwean brothers and sisters have only gone and elected an "evil rhodie racist sanction busting land occupying whatever"..LOL..wonder why they did not vote for a rep of your zero RGM???..LOL.Quick..send the re-education crew round!!!!
How long till Mugabe arranges for his wife to be murdered beaten into an unrecognisable state like the former MDC Mayor of Harare's wife?
awt...I know we laugh and try to make light of things but the situation could get as ugly as you suggest..that little hitler is so evil he is capable of anything!! But to the people of Mutare..I say..a big WELL DONE for your display of common sense and your triumph over EVIL..ie zanupfools!!
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