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MDC vows to bring Harare to a standstill
The MDC yesterday warned that it would bring business to a halt in Harare if Elias Mudzuri, the suspended executive mayor, was not allowed to resume work. Gabriel Chaibva, the MDC shadow minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, told journalists at a Press briefing that he had instructed the mayor to report for duty as usual on Monday morning. Mudzuri has been on sick leave since Thursday. Chaibva said: “Let them bring the riot police to Town House. We will bring business in Harare to a complete halt. We are not making a mere threat. This is for real.” Chaibva said the party was not worried about the economic repercussions of disruption of business in the country as it had the capacity to resuscitate the economy in a “post-Mugabe era”.
What the hell? It can't get much worse, can it?
On Thursday night the council held a special meeting and resolved to advise the police that the ban they imposed on consultative meetings with residents at Town House “is unreasonable as it is the council’s duty to consult with residents, ratepayers and stakeholders on civic matters”. The police on Wednesday banned further meetings after residents at the weekly meeting advocated demonstrations in support of Mudzuri. Chaibva alleged that Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo was trying to protect the financial interests of several companies and officials the council is investigating for alleged theft and corruption. He said: “The cow has been stopped from giving milk.” Chaibva said Chombo was sitting on a report on theft and corruption that was unravelled in the Chegutu Municipality by his own officials and was instead concentrating on Harare.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-05-10
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=14086