Zimbabwe: Tempers Flare As Mnangagwa Is Honoured With Freedom of City Status

Rick Bajornas / UN Photo
(file photo)
10 December 2022
New Zimbabwe (London)
By Staff Reporter

Former Gweru Mayor, Josiah Makombe, has said the recent conferment of Freedom of the City Status on President Emmerson Mnangagwa by MDC-Alliance councillors was done without consulting residents.

The status is an honour given by a local authority to an individual for exceptional services in that city.

Makombe, who was recalled earlier this year by Mwonzora, bounced back as a Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillor after retaining his ward in the March by-elections.

CCC councillors boycotted the full council event which resolved to honour Mnangagwa.

MDC Alliance councillors, in a recently held full council meeting, resolved to move ahead with the motion of awarding Mnangagwa Freedom of the City Status after CCC councillors had thwarted earlier attempts in September.

The motion was moved by Ward 10 councillor Charles Chikozho.

Following the resolution, Gweru Mayor Hamutendi Kombayi confirmed that the city has given Mnangagwa the status.

"The President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency President Emerson Mnangagwa has been conferred with Freedom of the City status," said Kombayi.

However, Makombe came out guns blazing and described the whole process as a non-event.

"Gweru City Council through the councillors from Douglas Mwonzora's party gave Mnangagwa freedom of the city," he said.

"Councillors from the CCC, as led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa, did not attend the meeting because we did not agree with the sense of giving Mnangagwa freedom of the city, especially if we look at the achievements Mnangagwa has done.

"As a city, the challenges we are facing are because of the economic challenges that are in the country which are supposed to be solved by Mnangagwa himself."

Makombe said the move is meant to solidify MDC-Alliance relations with Mnangagwa.

"Mwonzora and Zanu PF are one and the same thing, it was an in-house thing that they decided to give Mnangagwa Freedom of the City.

"What I want to make clear is that the Gweru residents who rejected Mnangagwa in 2018 were not consulted, the Gweru Citizens who are always voting for CCC did not put their input with regards to that issue.

"So basically, eight people from Douglas Mwonzora's party made that decision and it's a shame that eight people want to portray that Gweru as a City has honoured Mnangagwa.

"It's really a joke and nothing to talk about. It's an issue of Mwonzora's people trying to find ways of making their marriage stronger with Zanu PF."

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.

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