- Title: ZIMBABWE: FIRST BLACK MAYOR SWORN IN.
- Date: 10th April 1981
- Summary: 1. GV ZOOM IN TO SV INTERIOR New Mayor Dr. Gwata and the ex-Mayor Mr. Whiting shake hands and Whiting takes off chain of office as crowd looks on. (2 SHOTS) 0.22 2. SV PULL BACK TO GV Whiting places chain of office round Gwata's neck. 0.32 3. CU Mayor Gwata making speech. 0.53 4. SV PAN EXTERIOR Newsmen taking pictures of mayor and guests on steps of Town House. 1.00 5. SCU Mayor Gwata being interviewed on steps. 1.36 SPEECH ON FILM (TRANSCRIPT) SEQ: 3: GWATA: "For the first time we have a popularly and democratically elected council reflecting the true aspirations of the people of this city and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who made this possible." SPEECH ON FILM (TRANSCRIPT) SEQ. 5: GWATA: "Well I'm going to discuss it with the rest of the councillors but certainly the name 'Salisbury' is certainly foreign to this country so I won't be surprised if another name is suggested." REPORTER: "What sort of name do you think will be suggested?" GWATA: "I think 'Harrari' is the most appropriate." REPORTER: "Do you think the new council will be working to Africanise the administration of the city?" GWATA: "Well, as I have said, we are going to recognise the team -- all of us. We are going to make sure that things are done efficiently and improved and everything is done better than before." ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The name 'Harrari' is in honour of a tribal chief in the area when the whites first arrived in 1890 to establish Fort Salisbury. Initials JS/ Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 1st March 2016 11:38
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- Location: SALISBURY, ZIMBABWE
- Country: Zimbabwe
- Reuters ID: LVA9TIPBA1QKGG8ACHDH87AJWQCC
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: A doctor and university lecturer in Salisbury, Zimbabwe, Dr. Tizirai Gwata, 38, has been sworn in as the capital's first black mayor. The ceremony took place in Salisbury on Tuesday (7 April). Dr. Gwata and his deputy Mr. Simplisius Chihambakwe, 36, were among 23 new black city councillors elected recently in the first democratic municipal elections in the city's ninety-year history.
SYNOPSIS: Dr. Gwata took office at Town House, Salisbury All 23 of the new black city councillors were candidates for the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). The landslide victory gave the party control of sixteen of the seventeen municipal councils around the country. ZANU-PF is Prime Minister Robert Mugabe's party.
The new 36-member city council will have 13 whites. Dr. Gwata thanked the voters who had elected his party.
Dr. Gwata was asked by newsmen if he would change the name of the capital.
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