Top official goes AWOL from Town House

Harare City Council (HCC) top official Mathew Marara has reportedly gone absent without official leave (AWOL), with plans in motion to remove him from the municipality's payroll. Marara, who was accused of creating a Grade 1(b) position under a job evaluation he oversaw, allegedly took the post without an interview and received luxury benefits, including a top-of-the-range vehicle.

Sources within HCC have revealed that Marara has not been carrying out any duties at the Town House for some time. "We don't know where Marara is reporting to these days, what his role is at council at the moment, and he has not been reporting for work of late," one source told NewsDay. "You can only meet him at funny events."

The municipality is said to be considering removing Marara from the payroll, with the human resources office reportedly reluctant to execute this decision despite receiving instructions. "There are moves to remove him from the payroll, but the human resources office has been reluctant to act," a source added. "This might see heads roll at Harare City Council."

George Mujajati, chairperson of the HCC human resources committee, confirmed that a recent meeting discussed Marara's situation. "We had a meeting and we resolved that we should go back to our original grades. Currently, we are waiting for the Local Government Board to advise us on the next plan," Mujajati said in an interview with NewsDay.

Marara, who was unreachable for comment, has been at the center of multiple scandals within the council. A job evaluation at HCC revealed that the municipality was essentially operating with two town clerks for almost a year, with Marara and suspended town clerk Hosiah Chisango allegedly awarding themselves lucrative Grade 1 contracts. Marara is said to have structured new grades within the council and secured a role as the executive assistant to the town clerk, which he was not officially interviewed for.

The situation worsened when it was revealed that Marara and Chisango both took delivery of Toyota Land Cruisers 300 series vehicles as part of their contracts. Marara is also accused of forging documents to secure his lucrative position, which lacked approval from the Local Government Ministry.

Marara was initially earmarked to replace the arrested Chisango, but the move was blocked by Harare City Council councillors. As a result, HCC director of water, Engineer Phakamile Mabhena Moyo, has been appointed the acting town clerk.

This is not the first time Marara has been embroiled in controversy. He previously made headlines when the commission of inquiry into the operations of Harare City Council (HCC) from 2017 to 2020 questioned the US$329,000 compensation he received during his suspension over corruption charges. Marara was suspended alongside other senior HCC officials, including Edgar Dzehonye and Tonderai Mukora, following allegations of corruption in the survey section.

In recent weeks, Marara accused senior officials at the municipality of orchestrating a campaign to damage his reputation and create discord between himself, Mayor Jacob Mafume, and Chisango. Through a letter from his legal team, Lunga and Mazikana Attorneys, Marara refuted claims that he had been appointed to his position by Chisango and clarified that all decisions regarding his appointment, reinstatement, and compensation were properly approved by the council.

The legal team also suggested that the continued silence from the council indicated a plot to pressure Marara into resigning, which they described as "constructive dismissal."

As Harare City Council faces a crisis of governance and accountability, the fate of Marara and the unresolved issues surrounding his position continue to raise questions about transparency and proper procedures within the municipality.