Herbert Gomba

Herbert Thomas Gomba (born 1977) is a Zimbabwean politician who served as mayor of Harare from 2018 to 2020. He has been a member of the Harare City Council since 2008 representing Ward 27, which covers parts of the Glen Norah suburb. Gomba was elected and sworn in as mayor on 3 September 2018, but was recalled from the City Council on 14 August 2020 amid factional disputes within the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance. He was reelected to the City Council in a March 2022 by-election as a Citizens Coalition for Change candidate.

Early life and education Gomba was born in the town of Rusape in Manicaland Province. He attended Highfield 2 High School in Harare, where he completed his Ordinary and Advanced Levels. He received a Master of Science in public policy and governance from Africa University near Mutare in 2016.

Political career Gomba was elected to the Harare City Council in 2008 for Ward 27, which covers parts of the Glen Norah suburb. Gomba was reelected to the City Council for Ward 27 in the 2018 election with 7,676 votes against ZANU–PF candidate Jephson Matewe's 1,918 votes.

On 2 September 2018, The Standard reported that Gomba had been chosen as the mayoral candidate of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance. The only ZANU–PF councillor, Martin Matinyanya, nominated himself for the position, but did not receive a second, and Gomba was then elected unanimously. In a letter addressed to Minister of Local Government July Moyo, MDC–T secretary Douglas Mwonzora wrote that Gomba and five other city councillors "have ceased to be belong to the Movement for Democratic Change which is a member of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance which was formed... for purposes of contesting the 2018 elections."

On 26 March 2022, Gomba was reelected to the City Council for his previous Ward 27 seat, this time as a member of the Citizens Coalition for Change, a new opposition party led by Nelson Chamisa. Prior to the election, on 14 March, Gomba was arrested on charges of violating Section 37 of the Electoral Act, for allegedly registering as a voter at a Glen Norah home owned by his parents, where he did not live. The complainant in the case was Jephson Matewe, the ZANU–PF candidate for the by-election in Ward 27, who had lost to Gomba in City Council elections three times in a row. The following month, on 27 April, the National Prosecuting Authority announced that it was still investigating the matter and was granted a postponement to 30 May while investigations were ongoing. In addition to allegedly submitting a false address himself, Gomba was also accused of falsely declaring the registration of 22 other voters at the same Glen Norah address. On 3 November 2022, prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti told the Magistrates Court that investigations were now complete, and that Gomba would be given a trial date at the next hearing on 21 November.