Mayor is framed
By Savious Kwinika
BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE:
IN a spirited attempt to soil Bulawayo executive mayor
Japhet Ndabeni-Ncube's image, some MDC councilors
believed to be working in cahoots with THE Zanu PF
GOVERNMENT have accused the mayor of Zimbabwe's second
largest city of sexual harassment, an allegation that
lacked substance and tangible evidence, the mayor told
confirmed on Friday.
After the government had dismally failed to remove the
democratically and constitutionally elected opposition
leader through flimsy allegations of exerggerating
malnutrition death statistics, the government took yet
another step to try and chuck off the Bulawayo
executive mayor from office, this time on unfounded,
baseless and misleading allegations of sexual
harassment.
Investigations by The African Star
revealed that there
was not even a single report made to the police by the
Bulawayo's only female councilor, whom former Deputy
mayor Charles Mpofu was quoted in the government
controlled Chronicle newspaper as having been sexually
harassed by mayor.
In its report, the Chronicle claimed that a female
city councillor was sexually harassed by the mayor but
further investigations by this reporter showed that
the local authority had one female councilor for
Cowdray Park, Stars Mathe of the opposition MDC.
The latest development had exposed the works of
double standards by the ruling Zanu PF's state media,
who are believed to be trying to remove Ndabeni-Ncube
in an Elias Mudzuri style.
Contacted for comment on Thursday, Ndabeni-Ncube
dismissed the story published in the Chronicle as
misleading, baseless, unfounded and that the story
lacked substance but quickly pointed out that piece of
information was crafted to tarnish his image as the
only remaining incumbent mayor of the powerful city.
"The story about sexually harassment really shocked me
but at the same time I don't want to stink too low by
commenting on street gossip.
"I would rather let the street gossip go by the
wind," said Ndabeni-Ncube, while laughing his lungs
out on the Chronicle story.
Contacted for comment on Friday, the Bulawayo police
public relations department dismissed the allegations
as a "fictitious story" that is "non-existent".
"We have not received any reports of sexual harassment
from the Bulawayo female city councilor in question.
"Maybe the woman will come but since two weeks ago
when the allegations were raised in the press, we have
not got any tangible evidence neither reports accusing
the mayor of any sexual harassment," said a police
spokeperson.
The Bulawayo based Chronicle quoted former deputy
mayor, alderman Charles Mpofu as having said the mayor
Ndabeni-Ncube was involved in sexual harassment to a
female city councilor, whom he did not mention.
"The mayor proposed love to a female councilor and
this councilor felt that the mayor was sexually
harassing her as she had turned down his advances.
"I approached the mayor to discuss the issue and
resolve it. This strained our relations because I had
become aware of his contact," said alderman Mpofu,
quoted by the Chronicle.
Bulawayo city council had one female councilor who is
called Stars Mathe. Mathe she is a councilor for
Cowdray Park and she got into office through an MDC
ticket.
Efforts to get comment from Mathe were unsuccessful as
her mobile was not reachable.
Ends....