The escalating battle of political control within the MDC-T has seen another wave of recalls that have claimed 11 councillors in Harare, in the process crippling service delivery and political representation.

“I wish to inform you that I am in receipt of a letter from the MDC-T stating that the following councillors have been expelled from that party.

“In terms of section 278 of the constitution of Zimbabwe, as read with section 129(1)(k), wards 24, 39, 19, 34, 30, 8, 40, 21, 29, 6 and 35 are now vacant,” reads part of the letter from Local Government minister July Moyo.

The recalls come at a time when Harare City Council has closed more than 30 clinics with a massive job action looming next week among the health personnel in the local authority.

The new wave of recalls has created a leadership vacuum at community level with residents pushed to the periphery of local governance. “They (MDC-T) must explain why they are withdrawing our constitutional right to representation in council. So far there is no misconduct levelled against the recalled councillors to justify recalling, other than political differences among themselves,” said an angry resident.

Some sections within the political arena are now insinuating that the government must put a commission to run the affairs of the city until 2023.

“Now that the Harare council has been paralysed, don’t you think it’s high time for government to deploy a commission to run Harare council until 2023?” reads a tweet from Zanu PF Patriots.

In the letter to the town clerk, the Local Government minister advised the town clerk to inform the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on the “vacant” wards without councillors.

So far 20 councilors have fallen victim to the recalls. The Combined Harare Residents’ Association (CHRA) is calling on residents’ associations and civil society organisations to converge over the matter as it has become a nationwide issue. By Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)