Mafume accused of nepotism and authoritarian practices

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume is facing serious allegations of nepotism and authoritarian rule at Town House, with a senior council official accusing him of manipulating recruitment processes and creating a chaotic work environment. The accusations were made during a hearing of the Harare Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating the operations of Harare City Council from 2017 to the present.

Executive Assistant Town Clerk, Mathew Marara, gave testimony to the Commission that highlighted the pervasive culture of nepotism under Mafume's leadership. Marara accused the Mayor of appointing Lovemore Chinoputsa to the position of Research and Protocol Officer without following proper recruitment protocols.

Marara described a "chaotic and lawless" atmosphere at Town House, particularly under Mafume's management. He detailed several instances where Mafume allegedly bypassed standard procedures in recruiting and appointing council workers.

One such example involved the appointment of a new driver for the Mayor's office. Marara explained that Mafume had replaced the long-serving driver with a younger individual, despite the fact that the new driver lacked the necessary skills to drive a manual vehicle. "We were pushed to second him to the Mayor's office when the incumbent was still in office. Interestingly, the one who came in did not even have the competence to drive a manual vehicle," Marara said.

Marara also accused Mafume of improperly suspending council official Samson Madzokere. Despite Madzokere being absent from the City Council, he reportedly continues to receive a salary. Marara claimed that Madzokere's suspension was not related to a newspaper article as Mafume had stated, but was due to disagreements regarding the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system.

Mafume has allegedly pressured council staff to adopt a particular company for the ERP project, even though there were no clear reasons for his preference. This situation has reportedly caused further turmoil within the council.

Marara also testified to the strained relationship between Mafume and Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango. Last year, Mafume suspended Chisango, who only learned about the suspension through social media. Marara stated that there was ongoing friction between the two, which was affecting the functioning of the entire council.

"The problem is unlike the other Mayors, like Mayor Masunda who could come to work once a week, the current one is in the office at 0800 hours and leaves at the end of the day, yet he is receiving an allowance of US$95 from the government as Mayor. It tells you a big story," Marara said.

During his recent appearance before the Commission, Mayor Mafume denied interfering with the work of the executive at Town House. He defended his actions by stating, "I meet a lot of people. I meet individual Councillors and committees. Even in the Act, if a Committee is in session and I feel that I need to come into that Committee, I am allowed to go into that Committee."

The Commission's inquiry into Harare City Council continues, and the allegations against Mafume have sparked serious concerns about the transparency and integrity of the city's governance structures.