Councillor Chris Mabunda of Ward 75 has informed this paper that a case of electoral misconduct against him has been withdrawn.
The case emanated from the May provincial and national elections. Mabunda said this in response to this paper ‘s edition of 3 October in Demand for resignation which outlined challenges he faced including this misconduct case and a petition for his resignation by residents for alleged failure to perform his duties.
Mabunda said the case was heard and withdrawn at the Alex Magistrates’ court in October. He said the court ruled that the charge had been brought up by a political party and not the Independent Electoral Commission [IEC], a statutory body responsible for conducting the elections. “The allegation, which I didn’t do, was that I entered the Women for Peace poling station on 8th Avenue and demanded a recount when the process had been concluded.” He said the court ruled that the IEC, as an independent body and not a political party, had discharged its duties accordingly and declared the elections as free and fair in accordance with its mandate. The electoral laws only permit designated IEC officials on duty and party observers to enter voting stations during the counting and verification of the counted votes.
Mabunda said the verdict exonerated him from any wrong doing.
He said despite the allegations, he continued his council work which included holding quarterly meetings, facilitating meetings of council officials with residents and attending to residents’ individual problems. At one of the meetings, he said he distributed 2 500 food parcels to poor residents. “Five hundred of them continue to receive the parcels every month from the Department of Social Development. Evidence of the meetings can be verified through notifications and attendance registers,” he stressed.
Mabunda added that the petition for his resignation was from individuals in one ward who once disrupted a meeting of city officials and from residents demanding he explain his court case which by then was sub judice [still in the courts]. Saying the petition was their democratic right, he scoffed at it as an attempt by 500 people in the ward to dislodge him.
