Chikomba District Development Coordinator (DDC), Michael Mariga has lifted a suspension he imposed on four Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in Chikomba after they filed an urgent chamber application challenging the suspension.
The four CCC councillors are Collen Zvarevashe (Ward 11), Amos Reza (Ward 10), Fexil Zhakata (Ward 9) and Ishmael Maukazuva (Ward 12).
A letter seen by The Mirror dated 25 January 2024, addressed to the four councillors’ lawyers Mabundu and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners from Mariga’s lawyer Herbert Mutasa of Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans Legal Practitioners confirmed the lifting of the suspension. The letter reads in part:
We refer to the above matter and our telephone conversation earlier today. During the aforesaid telephone conversation, Ms Ndou told us that your clients will withdraw their urgent chamber application if a written undertaking is given on the terms that we proposed to you before.
Here now is our clients’ undertaking, your clients will not be hindered from discharging their duties as councillors for their respective wards and your clients’ allowances will not be withheld.
Mariga suspended the quartet after they applied a declarature to nullify all council committees at the High Court in Harare arguing that the committees were imposed by the council chairperson Israel Dhikinya without conducting elections thereby violating the Rural Councils Act.
The four CCC councillors then filed an urgent chamber application challenging the suspension.
In their application, the councillors argued that they did not receive any official communication notifying them of the suspension.
They also argued that Mariga does not have the authority to suspend them.
Meanwhile, the CCC councillors are continuing with their application to nullify all council committees.
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