SUSPENDED Gwanda mayor, Lionel De Necker has said he is no longer interested in fighting his suspension, saying his main focus is now on ensuring his MDC party wins the next election.
REPORT BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Local Government minister, Ignatius Chombo suspended De Necker last year for defying a directive to appoint, Priscilla Nkala as a Town Chamber Secretary.
De Necker challenged his suspension and the matter is still pending at the High Court.
In a recent interview, De Necker said there was no need to continue agonising over his suspension with elections likely to be held this year.
“I am already focused on winning my next election, making sure my party wins in the province.
“With the new constitution in place now, I look at a better time to serve my community so the case with Chombo might be overtaken by events,” he said.
De Necker is the MDC’s Ward 10 councillor for Gwanda Urban. The party has not yet set a date for the holding of its primary elections to select its candidates for the upcoming polls.
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“There is more to look forward to than Chombo’s games. The future is bright and [I] would love to see my party play a big role,” he added.
De Necker is one of the many councillors and mayors from the MDC’s that have either been suspended or sacked by Chombo over various charges. Chombo has over the past years being targeting MDC-led councils by suspending or firing mayors and councillors, including those in Harare, Mutare and Chitungwiza.
The two MDC formations have on numerous occasions called for the need to rein in Chombo, through amending the Urban Council’s Act which gives him unfettered powers to appoint and fire willy-nilly.
