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Blessings Chidakwa Municipal Reporter

Ward 17 councillor and Harare City Council human resources committee chair Jacob Mafume (43) was yesterday elected new Harare mayor after beating fellow councillor Luckson Mukunguma in a vote at Town House.

Clr Mafume polled 19 votes, while Clr Mukunguma, who chairs the council’s finance committee, received 14 votes, with one spoilt ballot.

Mafume immediately took the oath of office to replace Clr Herbert Gomba, who was recalled by the MDC-T party from council recently.

Clr Mafume is from the People’s Democratic Party led by Mr Tendai Biti, but was elected into council under the MDC-Alliance coalition banner.

In his acceptance speech, Clr Mafume thanked fellow councillors for bestowing faith in him.

“We will try to work together and I hope there will be stability at Town House,” he said. “What we should focus on is to get the work at hand done.”

Harare has been led by MDC councils since the turn of the millennium, but has been characterised by poor service delivery and massive corruption which has seen unplanned and illegal settlements sprouting all over the city.

A number of MDC-Alliance councillors are in court facing charges of corruption after parcelling out land, sometimes working with city workers some of whom are also before the courts.

Mr Mafume is a practising lawyer and was educated at the University of Zimbabwe.