THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS (HON. KABIKIRA): Section 278 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe as read with Section 114 of the Urban Council Act, is amended by the Local Government laws. Amendment Number 8 of 2016 sets the conditions for removal of a mayor or a chairperson from office as follows;
i. the mayor, chairperson or a councillor of a council shall only be removed from office on the grounds of inability to perform the functions of his or her office due to mental or physical incapacity.
ii. the gross incompetency or the gross misconduct.
iii. conviction of an offence involving dishonest corruption or abuse of office.
iv. wilful violation of the law, including a local authority by-law.
Subject to this section, if the Minister has reasonable grounds for suspecting that a mayor or a chairperson or a councillor is unable to perform the functions of his or her office due to mental or physical incapacity or is guilty of any misconduct referenced in subsection b, c, d and e, the Minister then, by written notice to the mayor, chairperson or the council, may suspend the mayor, the chairperson or the councillor
from exercising all or any of his or her functions in terms of the cited legal provision. I so submit.
