Harare councillors fight for expensive stands

Harare councillors are advocating for the reassignment of housing director Funny Machipisa after he reportedly resisted their demands to allocate housing stands outside their wards in upscale suburbs of the capital. The council's human resources and general purposes committee, meeting last Thursday, resolved to transfer Machipisa from his role as deputy director of housing and community services to head the city's lesser-known Department of Excellence. This decision followed several committee sessions this month aimed at downgrading Machipisa to a teaching position at Gunhill Excellence School.

The move to reassign Machipisa came after he insisted on adhering to policy by allocating councillors stands within their respective wards. Allegedly, some councillors refused to accept the letters offering them stands in their wards and instead demanded allocations in low-density suburbs. Machipisa referred them to a 2020 government circular mandating that councillors receive land in their own wards, despite many having already benefited from such allocations.

A forthcoming full council meeting is scheduled to finalize the minutes of the human resources committee meeting, which have been kept confidential to preserve the surprise of Machipisa's reassignment. Most opposition to Machipisa's transfer reportedly comes from members of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) within the council, who argue that the move is politically motivated and could undermine the council's credibility amid corruption allegations.

Committee chairperson George Mujajati, believed to be spearheading Machipisa's reassignment, indicated that the decision was part of a broader job rationalization effort. He cited Machipisa's qualifications as fitting for the Department of Excellence, deflecting allegations that he was orchestrating the return of controversial former principal housing officer Edgar Dzehonye to replace Machipisa.