Masvingo mayor held hostage

By Regerai Tututuku

Masvingo mayor councillor Hubert Fidze was this morning briefly held hostage for almost an hour by angry residents at a meeting to discuss the deterioration of service delivery in the city and failure by council to resolve a labour dispute with its entire workforce. 

At least two people were arrested as the meeting nearly degenerated into a fist fight as the angry residents closed the down of the town hall and started scolding the city father.

The meeting ended prematurely with the mayor having to raise his hands up as he was moving out of the hall with some residents in hot pursuit.

Tempers flared after mayor Fidze flanked by the town clerk Adolf Gusha tried to explain to the residents that he needed time to respond to some of the questions and that they should book him always when they want a meeting with him.

Angered by his remarks some angry residents dismissed his explanation and started shouting at him while others wanted to meet instant justice on him.

As the mayor tried to move out of the town hall some residents moved quickly to close the door and the mayor literally surrender as he held his hands up.

Alert municipal police at the civic center had to come to the mayor’s rescue .

Contacted for comment mayor Fidze describe the iniccident as unfortunate but mantained that residents should follow laid down procedures whenever they want to see or talk to him.

” The problem arose when I told them that i needed time to respond to some of their questions ,”said Fidze.

“Some youths then stood up and started shouting at me and some even threatened to beat me up.

“But in actual fact I am a free man like any other person and residents should know that they should book me for a meeting whenever they want to discuss anything with me other to talk to me in the street whenever they meet me,”said the angry Fidze.

The mayor accompanied by senior council officials had entered the packed civic centre hall where residents wanted an explanation as to why the council was failing to resolve the salary dispute with the workers which has seen council property including refuse trucks, graders, and other earth moving equipment gathering dust at the deputy sheriff’s offices after they were attached almost a year ago.

The residents also wanted council to immediately stop hiring vehicles from the Central Mechanical Equipment Department CMDE a move which has gobbled about USD 1 million dollars within a year.

The residents have vowed to mobilise other residents to boycott paying rates and tariffs until their grievances are met. The Zimbabwean