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Vusumuzi Dube, Municipal Reporter
COWDRAY Park Councillor, Happyson Ncube, faces expulsion from the Bulawayo City Council as he has been absent from his local government duties since his election in the July 30 elections.

Irate residents are demanding an explanation for his absence as they believe he has abandoned the ward. Although it has since emerged that Clr Ncube has been bed-ridden with an unknown ailment, residents have taken the councillors’ party, the MDC, to task arguing that the party should have formally informed them of the predicament and put in place a caretaker councillor.

According to Section 78 of the Urban Councils Act, a councillor ceases to be a councillor when he or she is absent from the ordinary meetings of the council during a period of six consecutive calendar months, whether or not leave of the council has been obtained. The councillor has been missing from duty since his inauguration in August.

During the local authority’s budget consultative meetings, Ward One councillor, Mlandu Ncube, represented Clr Ncube but since then residents claim they had not had any meetings with any council representative raising fears that they could be left out on key council programmes.

“What we are calling for is for either council or the MDC to appoint a caretaker councillor because clearly we are losing out on council programmes. As it is we are operating like a headless chicken.

“While we feel for the councillor that he is sick, council business cannot just stop. The responsible authorities must act accordingly and ensure that business goes ahead and the people of Cowdray Park are not left without a leader,” said a resident, Mr Melusi Ndlovu.

Contacted for comment, MDC chief of staff, who also the party’s secretary for local governance, Mr Sesel Zvidzai, said the party was aware of Clr Ncube’s predicament but noted that it was now up to the Mayor, Clr Solomon Mguni and deputy mayor, Clr Tinashe Kambarami, to either oversee the running of the ward or appoint a caretaker councillor to take over Clr Ncube’s duties until he is able to resume work. “Yes, the party is fully aware of Clr Ncube’s condition; it is now up to the Mayor and deputy Mayor to act whenever there is such a problem and ensure that council work goes ahead at the affected ward.

“What you have to realise is that we are talking of an illness here and this is purely in the hands of God so we are naturally praying for the councillor’s speedy recovery,” said Mr Zvidzai.

The council chief whip, Clr Silas Chigora, also echoed Mr Zvidzai’s sentiments saying Clr Ncube had taken sick leave but had not exceeded the maximum period which a councillor can go without attending council business. “As councillors we continue praying for our colleague’s speedy recovery and it is not true that we have abandoned Ward 28. As you might be aware, during the budget consultation meetings, we had a councillor visiting the ward representing Clr Ncube, this will continue to happen till the councillor is ready to resume his normal duties,” said Clr Chigora.

A council source revealed that Clr Ncube’s sick leave was initially meant to come to an end on November 1 hence they were now expecting him to resume his duties unless he extends it further.

“According to our books, the said councillor took sick leave days up to 1 November hence we expect him to have resumed his duties. I will have to check with the committees he sits in whether he has been attending any council meetings,” said the source.

In Cowdray Park, The Chronicle also caught up with Zanu-PF losing council candidate for the ward, Cde Kidwell Mujuru, who said while he understood the plight of the people, residents should keep on praying for Clr Ncube’s speedy recovery.