Harare Residents Trust accuse Harare Council for funds misuse

The Harare Residents' Trust (HRT) has accused the Harare City council for abusing funds following the findings by the Auditor General report for 2014.

HRT said it is concerned over the running of the City of Harare.

"The findings of the Auditor General (October 2014, Local Authorities) point to an entrenched system of misuse of funds, corruption, and high levels of manipulation of their billing system," said the Trust.

"Development proposals that have been submitted to the Harare City Council take more than six months to get a response in writing when not pursued. There is no culture of professionalism among the City managers who are specialists at referring matters from one to the other without anyone willing to resolve a matter."

The Trust said council reports indicate that 60 percent of treated water being pumped is lost through leakages along the distribution network, water thefts and illegal connections with officials being linked to this collaborative theft of council resources.

"No action is being done regarding this huge corruption scandal," said the Trust.

"There is an official in the Harare Water Department, identified as Kusangaya, the Finance Manager, who last went for an official leave in 2006, and who is reportedly handling all financial transactions on behalf of corrupt Government and council managers.

"So he is the only one allowed to have access to funds and accounts, and reports directly to the Town Clerk, yet there is an Acting Finance Director in the Council stationed at Rowan Martin and also there is the Water Director at Old Mutual House. The HRT is keen to know who protects this man Kusangaya who seems to be above all, and has reportedly accumulated unexplained wealth over the years."

The Trust said elected councillors are rarely convening community feedback meetings, except for a few who are consistent, namely Borrowdale (ward 18), Sunningdale (Ward 10), Mbare (Ward 3), Rugare (Ward 13), Warren Park (Ward 15), Dzivarasekwa (Ward 40), Kuwadzana (Ward 37), Mt Pleasant (ward 17), Greendale/Highlands (Ward 8), and there are some who are erratic, while the rest do not hold community meetings at all.

" A more detailed report will be released soon," said the Trust.