Of regulations and ‘impeachment’ of Dar City mayor
Dar es Salaam. The fate of mayorship of Isaya Mwita remains unknown as opposing parties to the matter interpret differently the set City Council regulations.
On Thursday, the members of the Dar es Salaam City Council cast a vote of no confidence against Mr Mwita, whereby 16 councillors from the leading party, CCM, voted against him, citing abuse of office and other issues of misconduct.
Chaos ensued after councilors from the Opposition Chadema contested the decision, saying it was against DCC standing orders.
According to Standing Orders No 84, Section 1, the Council may impeach the mayor by a resolution supported by two thirds of the members of the Dar es Salaam City Council.
Currently, the number of Council members of the city is 26, meaning its two-thirds is 17 members.
However, the city executive director Sipora Liana said, the decision was made basing on the two thirds of the members who attended the impeachment meeting on Thursday.
Speaking to The Citizen, the director said the number of members who cast votes was 17 and not 26, so the two-third needed to impeach the mayor was 11 members of those present in the meeting.
“Currently the city has no mayor because no election has been held yet,” she said.
But, Ubungo Mayor Boniface Jacob said that was a wrong interpretation of the Council Standing Orders, insisting that the two-third factor is calculated from the all members of the City Council and not only those who are present in a particular meeting. Hence, it was supposed to be two-thirds of 26 members, which is 11.
“That director is totally confusing the matter, they need two-third of the total members which is 26 and the two third is 17 members,” he said.
Mr Jacob, who is also councillor for Ubungo Ward (Chadema) added that they (CCM) could have gotten all the 17, “if common sense had applied instead of using force”.
Mwita reports to office on Friday
Yesterday, embattled Dar es Salaam City Council Mayor Isaya Mwita went to his office as usual, and when the city director was asked if she was aware of this, she noted that the official letter to stop him from entering the office was yet to be handed over.
“The letter will be delivered to him today (meaning Friday yesterday) and we will see if he will continue to go to the office or not,” said Ms Liana.
She added that Mr Mwita from now onward would only remain and recognized as a councillor for Vijibweni Ward.
Deputy mayor Abdallah Mtanika is expected to take over the mayoral duties if indeed Mwita is impeached as per the procedures.
The impeachment meeting was disrupted following chaos involving Chadema and CCM councilors.
It all started after Chadema councilors entered the hall and Ubungo Mayor Boniface Jacob claimed that Minazi Mirefu Councilor Kassim Mshamu’s name had been registered in the attendance register and demanded to know how that was possible.
