Corruption of biblical proportions unearthed in Harare

The commission of inquiry into the Harare City Council (HCC) operations from 2017 to the present has uncovered significant corruption at Town House. It was revealed that for the past few years, councillors and managers have been holding weekly workshops outside Harare in locations such as Kadoma, Victoria Falls, Kariba, or Mutare.

The findings emerged during an appearance by Zvenyika Isaiah Chawatama, the council's public works director, before the Justice Maphios Cheda commission. Commissioner Thabani Mpofu questioned Chawatama about these workshops and noted that they continued despite declining service delivery in Harare. Efforts have been made to halt these workshops through the Local Government and Public Works ministry.

Chawatama confirmed that councillors have been engaging in these workshops, driven by a desire for allowances, which he deemed a misplaced priority. He also pointed out that the council's revenue collection performance is lacking, suggesting a need for improvement in ratepayer engagement.

The commission, appointed by President Mnangagwa in May, includes retired judge Justice Cheda, former MDC official Lucia Matibenga, Steven Chakaipa, Tafadzwa Hungwe, and Khonzani Ncube from the Local Government ministry, with John Basera serving as secretary. Their mandate is to investigate financial management systems, audit compliance, and revenue management, including the failure to operate an enterprise resource planning system and assessing related losses.