MASVINGO—The one week ultimatum given to mayor Collen Maboke by MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa to step down has now lapsed with the mayor saying he will keep on executing his duties until he gets a formal communication from the party.
Chamisa told the MDC provincial council meeting here a fortnight ago that Maboke should resign within a week or be fired from the party.
Maboke, who was not at the meeting where the order to step down was given, said he will only wait for the official communication from the party to make any decision.
“I was not there at the meeting where that order for me to step down was given. The party has proper channels when they want to communicate. They should write to me and I will have to respond as well.
“Until that communication comes, I remain the mayor and will keep doing my duties. I cannot make any decision based on hearsay, remember I am a lawyer,” said Maboke.
MDC secretary general Douglas Mwonzora weighed in saying Maboke has the right to make an appeal against the decision should he feel infringed.
“The case of mayor Maboke is not complicated at all. If Maboke feels that he has been somehow infringed, there are party processes which he can follow.
“He has the right to make an appeal and we have a panel which will look into his case should he choose that road,” said Mwonzora.
Mwonzora also said that the Maboke issue was divorced from the suspension nullifications he made last week where some party members were suspending others to elbow out competition ahead of the congress.
“The nullifications of all congress induced suspensions does not include the Maboke issue because he was not suspended. We only reversed suspensions which were made by some party leaders who wanted to get rid of competition.
“Maboke was just ordered to resign and not suspended,” said Mwonzora.
Provincial chairperson James Gumbi who was tasked to see to it that Maboke steps down said he had already addressed the issue and had reached an agreement with Maboke.
“I talked to Maboke and he agreed to resign so that the preferred candidate will take over. He wanted to write his resignation letter and I told him to call the president and talk to him directly.
“I am sure they are talking now on the way forward,” said Gumbi.
