CHINHOYI Municipality councillors on Monday elected Ward 2 Councillor Patricia Chibaya new deputy mayor.

She replaces Ward 6 Councillor Mercy Mada, who has applied six months' leave of absence from the local authority to attend to family business.

A special council meeting convened Monday resolved to grant Mada leave, thereby raising the need to choose her replacement or reliever in terms of section 112 subsection 2 paragraph (a) of the Urban Councils Act.

Subsequent elections held at Town House saw three Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) councillors and one Zanu PF member fighting for the sole ticket to land the vice premier post.

In a move exposing the rifts within CCC and a collapse of the whipping system due to internecine fights, three candidates were nominated and stood in the plebiscite.

These included eventual winner, Chibaya, former mayor Dyke Makumbi and ex-deputy mayor Chipo Mlotshwa.

Polling saw Chibaya garnering six (6) votes ahead of her closest rival Makumbi who got five (5), while Zanu PF's Voster Mashevedzanwa scrapped two (2) and Mhlotswa just a single (1) vote.

Fourteen of the 15 councillors participated in the election.

Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com after landing the post, an elated Chibaya said she will strive to give astute leadership to steer the CCC-dominated council.

"I am happy to have won the post in which l would assist to the incumbent mayor to fulfil the aspirations of residents and ratepayers regards provision of efficient service delivery," said Chibaya.

Chinhoyi Municipality has in recent years adopted a tradition of thrusting female politicians to the deputy mayor post, and Chibaya follows in the footsteps of Mhlotswa and Mada who preceded her in the coveted seat.