CCC councillor petitioned to withdraw 'false' statements

Shelter Zimbabwe has formally petitioned Harare Ward 29 Councillor Blessing Duma to retract what it describes as false statements made during his recent presentation to the Justice Maphios Cheda-led Commission of Inquiry into council affairs. The organization claims that Duma's allegations have seriously damaged its reputation and misrepresented its agreements with the City of Harare (CoH).

In a letter from the legal firm Maposa and Ndomene, addressed to Duma in his role as chairperson of the Audit Committee, the organization expressed its shock upon viewing Duma's remarks on national television on August 30, 2024. During his testimony, Duma claimed that there were no binding agreements between Shelter Zimbabwe and the local authority.

The letter outlines specific inaccuracies in Duma's statements, including allegations that Shelter Zimbabwe had a contract with the Harare City Council (HCC) which was terminated for non-performance. Duma also asserted that Shelter Zimbabwe had engaged in corrupt practices to acquire and develop residential stands and suggested that the organization is owned by two council employees - claims that Shelter Zimbabwe categorically denies.

"We are appalled that you would make such damaging statements without any effort to verify the information beforehand," the legal representatives stated. "These inaccuracies not only mislead the public but also severely impact our client's professional standing."

The letter demands a formal retraction of Duma's statements, along with a public apology acknowledging the error and the harm caused to Shelter Zimbabwe's reputation. The organization has requested that this apology be made through the same channels and with equal prominence as the original false statements.

Shelter Zimbabwe also called on Duma's committee to commit to better fact-checking and verification practices before making public declarations.

In a related development, Councillor Duma was arrested last week by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on allegations of abusing his powers. He is accused of coercing Housing and Community Services director Admore Nhekairo into signing allocation letters for two unserviced residential stands in Mabelreign.

As the situation unfolds, the community and stakeholders are closely watching how the allegations and subsequent demands for retraction will impact the ongoing relationship between Shelter Zimbabwe and the City of Harare.