CCC Councillors Accuse Govt Of Sidelining Them
Beitbridge councillors, who are all CCC members, have accused the government of sidelining them during State functions held in the border town.
The complaint, which was raised at a full council meeting last week, follows the official opening of the upgraded Beitbridge Border Post by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Only Beitbridge mayor Munyaradzi Chitsunge was invited to the event but was made to sit in a public tent.
He was not even on the salutations list of officials who spoke, including Mnangagwa. Ward 3 councillor Takaendepi Mahachi said:
We are not recognised at State events taking place in our town. At the official opening of the upgraded border, we were left out and yet now we are being asked to attend the indaba to be addressed by President Mnangagwa.
Why do they know us now and yet when they come here they don’t recognise us?
Councillor Morgen Ncube queried why Beitbridge councillors were snubbed at the event yet in Harare, the mayor and councillors were invited and even recognised during proceedings. He said:
They are even addressed. We are councillors of all people and not just those who elected us and if we are excluded it means those people have been left out, which is not proper.
They made it (border official opening) look like a ZANU PF function. They could have left us out at their private rally later held at Dulivhadzimo Stadium, but during a public function, officials should be mature to know we have people behind us.
Town clerk Loud Ramagkapola took the blame saying all Beitbridge councillors should have been included on the list. He said:
We submitted a list including all councillors and these lists are vetted elsewhere.
We may have failed to follow up after the final list, but it is true that all Beitbridge councillors should have been included on behalf of Beitbridge residents.
These are the town fathers and we will in future liaise with the authorities responsible to include them.
| NewsDay
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