Mnangagwa's govt eyes Harare-like probe in Bulawayo

The Commission of Inquiry into the Harare City Council has completed its year-long probe and handed its findings to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, with government now hinting at the expansion of similar investigations to other local authorities-starting with Bulawayo.

The commission, chaired by retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda, presented its report to the President at State House on Tuesday. The probe unearthed deep-rooted governance failures and corruption within the Harare City Council, which has long been criticised for deteriorating service delivery in the capital.

Speaking after the handover ceremony, Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe confirmed the completion of the report and said the rot in Harare's urban management was not unique, citing Bulawayo as the next likely target.

"Harare City Council is number one, and Bulawayo City Council is number two going forward," said Garwe. "We have made the recommendation that we need a thorough investigation of all our urban local authorities because there is a lot of decay."

The Commission held public hearings over nine months, exposing financial mismanagement and lavish perks enjoyed by top city officials under Mayor Jacob Mafume's administration. This came despite repeated claims by the council of budgetary constraints hampering basic service delivery such as water provision, refuse collection and road maintenance.

Residents have long complained about worsening urban services, with burst sewer pipes, uncollected garbage and erratic water supply now common in Harare.

Though the findings of the report remain confidential for now, Minister Garwe indicated that a clean-up of the capital's Town House is on the horizon, pending President Mnangagwa's review and directive.

"The chairman and myself, as the Minister of Local Government, have come to present the report," said Garwe. "The details of the report cannot be disclosed today because the President has to go through the report, finalise it, and give us the way forward."

The government's intention to replicate the commission model across other cities, starting with Bulawayo, signals a broader crackdown on what it views as systemic governance collapse in urban municipalities.

The anticipated investigation into the Bulawayo City Council comes amid growing public frustration over water rationing, alleged mismanagement of housing allocations, and inadequate infrastructure maintenance in the country's second-largest city.

Observers say the expansion of the commission approach could trigger a reshuffle in local authorities and has potential political implications, especially as most urban councils are opposition-led.

President Mnangagwa is expected to announce the next steps once he reviews the commission's recommendations.