THERESA ZIBOWA

MIRROR REPORTER

CHIKOMBA – Chikomba District Development Coordinator (DCC) Michael Mariga has suspended all four Chikomba Rural District CCC councillors for filing a High Court application to declare all council committees null.

Collen Zvarevashe (Ward11), Amos Reza (Ward 10), Felix Zhakata (Ward 9) and Ishmael Maukazuva (Ward 12) were suspended during a full council meeting at council offices yesterday.

“This note serves to inform you that this office is in sync of a High court order following the suing of council by four councillors. In view of that order you are being advised to stop calling for any council business the following councillors, Reza Amos, Collen Zvarevashe, Ishmael Maukazuva and Zhakata Felix. Business for the above mentioned will only resume after court settlement,” reads the letter.

The four Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillors approached the High Court in Harare seeking an order to nullify all council committees on the basis that they were imposed by the council chairperson Israel Dhikinya without elections being conducted. 

“This application is an application for a decelerator in terms of Section 14 of the High Court Act (Chapter 7: 06). Precisely the applicants are seeking to have this court declare the appointment of council committees by the 2nd respondent (Dhikinya) ultra vires the standing rules of the Rural District Council and a nullity.

 “On the 20th of September 2023 a council meeting was held whose agenda was to elect office bearers of different committees in the council …The 2nd respondent after the meeting went away to his office and unilaterally without the input of council members announced names of all the elected committee members,” reads part of the application seen by The Mirror.

The quartet initially approached Chivhu Magistrates Court but withdrew the application after agreeing to resolve the matter in a full council meeting with Zanu PF councillors and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bullen Chiwara.