HARARE - Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (Ucaz) executive should call for an extraordinary Annual General Meeting (AGM) within six weeks or risk losing City of Harare’s contribution.

According to the council’s treasurer, City of Harare contributed $35 000 during the 2012 financial year.

Harare used to have four  permanent delegates at the AGM but these, according to the new constitution, have been whittled down to one.

The demands by Harare City Council comes after a disputed AGM held in Masvingo in July this year, where the Ucaz executive is said to have sneaked into Urban Councils Act clauses that permit the current leadership to continue in power.

Councillor Sunshine Mudavanhu on Tuesday discredited the recent AGM’s electoral process together with amendments made to the Act describing them as unconstitutional.

“The amendments made to our constitution do not serve us as councils but were put there to further the interests of certain people. Why were they (amendments) done without proper consultations?” asked Mudavanhu during a full council meeting.

“The constitution clearly states that voting is through secret ballot but in Masvingo we witnessed “tambocracy” with people being asked to raise hands. Therefore, I propose that the executive be given until mid-October to convene and set a date for an extraordinary AGM,” he said.

Warren Park councillor Julius Musevenzi seconded the proposal stating that the Ucaz executive tolerated manipulation of the process for selfish agendas.

“After the election, the current president of Ucaz was supposed to assume ZLGA presidency but they blocked that maintaining the status quo was the best thing for them,” said Musevenzi.

 “Therefore based on those reasons I second the motion.”

The AGM, which was scheduled for Victoria Falls last December, had to be postponed three times after the executive purportedly failed to provide audited financial statements.

Mbare ward 3 councillor Friday Muleya proposed that council consider withdrawal from Ucaz as an alternative solution provided the executive was bound to fight to stay in power.

The Ucaz executive committee comprises president, Masvingo mayor Alderman Fermius Chakabuda, first vice-president and Bulawayo mayor councillor Thaba Moyo, second vice president who is also the mayor of Kadoma, councillor Peter Mathambo, and secretary- general, Francis Duri.