- Motion of no confidence to be tabled next month
- Councilors blame Mayor for suspension of new CBD construction
- Muzila rubbishes claims and questions their “agenda”
SESUPO RANTSIMAKO
FRANCISTOWN: The recent suspension of the construction of the much-anticipated Francistown Central Business District (CBD) has left councilors irate and they are now planning to oust the city Mayor Sylvia Muzila who they blame for botching what would have been a major development.
Last year, government took an undisclosed decision to suspend the construction of the much-anticipated CBD which was on the verge of construction. However, this move according to sources close to the development is why Muzila is now facing the barrel of a gun as councilors are now planning her mayoral demise.
Other allegations are that Muzila may have “connived with one of the companies that made bidding to influence the outcome of tender adjudication.” Some councilors allege that she is favouring one of the companies that expressed interest for the construction of the new CBD. “The construction was suspended because one of the companies that tendered was complaining about the adjudication. Therefore, aggrieved councilors now feel that the only solution is to topple her and bring someone who can steer Francistown development quickly,” said a source.
Information reaching The Botswana Gazette is that when the full council session resumes next month councilors will table a motion of no confidence against Muzila. Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) councilors who protected Muzila in the last motion are said to have flipped and are now in concert with the opposition. “What I can confirm is that so far the leadership who have been consulted have given us the green light after weighing the reasons for the removal of the mayor. So, this time around there is no how the mayor can survive the ploy because those who supported her last year have now turned against her,” claimed a councilor close to the development.
Muzila was not aware of the ploy to topple her when reached for comment but stated that it would be laughable for anyone to spearhead a motion of no confidence when they should have worried about the development of the city. “I am not aware of any plan to topple me but if indeed it is true it will be a waste of time,” she told this publication, questioning the motive to topple her.
Further, the mayor rubbished claims that she connived with one of the companies that tendered insisting that she is not involved in tendering processes. “There is no how I can get involved in tender adjudication because there is a tendering committee that deals specifically with tenders. So whoever accused me of all these wants to tarnish my image,” she said.
Reached for comment, BDP’s Francistown Regional Chairman Baemedi Medupi said their office was not aware of the plot to topple Muzila. “If there are plans, we should have been engaged but if it is true we will wait for them and try to reconcile them,” Medupi said.
Last year Muzila survived a motion of no confidence by a whisker when she refused to read a Notice of Agenda, causing councilors to storm out of chambers in protest.