Gomba accuses Chamisa of dancing to the gallery
Former Harare Mayor Herbert Gomba fires warning shot to Chamisa
Staff Writer
Former Harare Mayor Herbert Gomba has publicly challenged CCC leader Nelson Chamisa’s allegations of corruption against CCC councillors, accusing Chamisa of dancing to the gallery at the expense of facts.
Gomba’s comments follow Chamisa’s testimony before the Commission of Inquiry investigating governance issues at the City of Harare, where he accused CCC councillors of abandoning party principles and hiding behind the Urban Councils Act to avoid accountability.
“These are lies, he is just pretending to soil others,” Gomba wrote in a series of Facebook posts, dismissing Chamisa’s claims as unfounded.
Chamisa, in his testimony, argued that the Urban Councils Act grants councils autonomy, making them independent of political parties. He stated: “In terms of the Urban Councils Act, there is nowhere individual citizens can actually have authority over the processes of council because council is a creature of statutes and council is a product of law. Anything that happens within the council is governed by statutes, laws and procedures within that council so any processes would be discharged by the council and not by political parties.”
However, Gomba countered that the CCC has internal mechanisms for addressing misconduct among its members, including the secretary for local government, chief whip, caucuses, and the constitutional recall mechanism.
“The laws are clear, you can recall an errant councillor,” Gomba wrote. “A party has structures like the secretary for local government, chief whip, caucuses, and the constitution has a recall mechanism….”
Gomba questioned why Chamisa, a former Member of Parliament with experience in constitutional processes, would resort to public accusations instead of utilizing these established party mechanisms.
Gomba also blamed the government and parliament for hindering service delivery in local government by stripping councils of their authority and resources. He cited the government’s removal of council assets and resources, including road licenses and electricity billing, as contributing factors to poor performance.
“It’s also important for you as a journalist to call CHAMISA to give you details and evidence of corruption he has, so that society can be enlightened,” Gomba wrote, urging journalists to hold Chamisa accountable for his allegations.
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