By 
Less than a week after a spat of by-elections caused by recalls, suspended opposition Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has been recalled as Ward 17 Councillor.
Mafume elected on a PDP ticket in 2018, had just got back to work as Mayor after he was suspended from office on allegations of gross misconduct and violation of the Urban Councils Act.
The PDP was then a party to a group of opposition parties that coalesced ahead of the general election under the banner of the MDC Alliance before the spectacular disintegration caused by internal fights.
Local Government Minister July Moyo, on Wednesday notified Harare City Council of the development through a letter dated March 28, 2022.
Moyo said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had notified him of Mafume’s recall.
PDP seconded Mafume to council under the MDC Alliance pact in 2018.
The letter read, “I wish to inform you that l am in receipt of a letter from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stating that the following councillor has ceased to be a member of the party through automatic termination of their membership as they have since joined Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), Jacob Mafume (Ward 17).
“In terms of Section 278 (i) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, as read with Section (l)(k), ward 17 is now vacant. In terms of Section 121 of the Electoral Act, please proceed to inform the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of this vacancy,”Moyo wrote.
PDP was formed by Tendai Biti and disgruntled MDC-T members in 2015 following a split.It was one of the seven parties that formed the MDC Alliance to contest against Zanu PF in the 2018 general election.
Former MDC women’s assembly chair Lucia Matibenga is the PDP secretary general and is responsible for the recalls.
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