News / National
Harare City Council is dead, needs complete overhaul
31 May 2025 at 14:28hrs | Views
Former chairperson of Harare City Council's audit committee, Councillor Blessing Duma, has delivered a scathing indictment of the local authority, declaring that "the council is dead" and requires not rehabilitation but a total overhaul. His dramatic exit from a commission of inquiry investigating corruption dating back to 2017 underscores the severity of the crisis gripping the council.
At the heart of the scandal lies deep-rooted corruption within the council's housing department, where land barons and corrupt officials are accused of fleecing desperate home seekers through fraudulent pay schemes disguised as legitimate housing cooperatives. Many victims have reportedly parted with thousands of dollars—often up to $1,500 in development fees—only to be left without land or homes.
Documents obtained by Business Times reveal that council housing directors allegedly orchestrated these scams across multiple high-density suburbs including Budiriro, Kuwadzana, Mufakose, and Mabvuku. A whistleblower councillor, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that some residents were duped into depositing money into a Harare City Council Mt. Pleasant account under false pretenses.
"I am against the corruption rampant in the council," the councillor said. "Officials in the housing department took people's money—$1,500—through these pay schemes in Budiriro, Mabvuku, and Mufakose."
One notorious example is the Global Pay Scheme in Glenview, where since 2017 an estimated 230 people have lost a combined $86,000 to fraudulent fees for adverts, surveys, and development costs. Despite a full council meeting backing the affected residents, many have had to seek recourse through the Zimbabwe Republic Police's commercial crimes unit after discovering they had been deceived.
"We paid $86,000 for services and fees starting before 2017," said a Glenview pay scheme leader. "We paid the council through Mr. Dzehonye, who promised to process our papers even during lockdown." However, they were later informed by council official Mr. Bare that their plots had already been allocated to others.
Residents escalated their grievances to the town clerk and audit committee, leading to a full council session on November 16, 2023, with a final report due by October 23, 2024. Meanwhile, those with valid documentation faced harassment from police deployed by the council.
Similar tales emerged from the Tinzwei Pay Scheme in Mufakose, where land allocated to residents was reportedly reassigned despite council resolutions approving their ownership.
Councillor Duma, who earlier this year challenged council officials in the High Court over double land allocations, described the council as "a breeding ground for corruption" that seeks to silence whistleblowers.
"My responsibility has always been to ensure public funds and assets are safeguarded," Duma said. "The double allocation cases, especially in Mabvuku, show how people paid for land that doesn't exist. This is outright fraud by the council."
Despite recommending suspensions of implicated officials, Duma expressed frustration that his advice has been ignored.
Mayor Jacob Mafume acknowledged the council's governance challenges, blaming persistent corruption on the absence of an effective Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to track allocations and backlogs. While condemning corruption, Mafume stopped short of detailing its extent.
"There are rotten apples in every system," Mafume said. "We do not condone corruption and are actively pursuing offenders. The law will catch them."
Reuben Akili, Director of the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), pointed to pay schemes as facilitators of cartel-like corruption within the council.
"Corruption is entrenched among officials operating as cartels," Akili said. "Pay schemes introduced during the Kasukuwere era have exacerbated the rot, replacing earlier housing cooperative models."
Akili urged structural reforms in housing governance, stressing the need for comprehensive policy reforms to close loopholes exploited by corrupt actors.
As the scandal deepens, it exposes a system that has betrayed Harare's residents, eroding public trust and draining millions. Resolving this crisis will require far more than inquiries and apologies — it demands a fundamental transformation of the council's operations and integrity.
At the heart of the scandal lies deep-rooted corruption within the council's housing department, where land barons and corrupt officials are accused of fleecing desperate home seekers through fraudulent pay schemes disguised as legitimate housing cooperatives. Many victims have reportedly parted with thousands of dollars—often up to $1,500 in development fees—only to be left without land or homes.
Documents obtained by Business Times reveal that council housing directors allegedly orchestrated these scams across multiple high-density suburbs including Budiriro, Kuwadzana, Mufakose, and Mabvuku. A whistleblower councillor, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that some residents were duped into depositing money into a Harare City Council Mt. Pleasant account under false pretenses.
"I am against the corruption rampant in the council," the councillor said. "Officials in the housing department took people's money—$1,500—through these pay schemes in Budiriro, Mabvuku, and Mufakose."
One notorious example is the Global Pay Scheme in Glenview, where since 2017 an estimated 230 people have lost a combined $86,000 to fraudulent fees for adverts, surveys, and development costs. Despite a full council meeting backing the affected residents, many have had to seek recourse through the Zimbabwe Republic Police's commercial crimes unit after discovering they had been deceived.
"We paid $86,000 for services and fees starting before 2017," said a Glenview pay scheme leader. "We paid the council through Mr. Dzehonye, who promised to process our papers even during lockdown." However, they were later informed by council official Mr. Bare that their plots had already been allocated to others.
Residents escalated their grievances to the town clerk and audit committee, leading to a full council session on November 16, 2023, with a final report due by October 23, 2024. Meanwhile, those with valid documentation faced harassment from police deployed by the council.
Similar tales emerged from the Tinzwei Pay Scheme in Mufakose, where land allocated to residents was reportedly reassigned despite council resolutions approving their ownership.
"My responsibility has always been to ensure public funds and assets are safeguarded," Duma said. "The double allocation cases, especially in Mabvuku, show how people paid for land that doesn't exist. This is outright fraud by the council."
Despite recommending suspensions of implicated officials, Duma expressed frustration that his advice has been ignored.
Mayor Jacob Mafume acknowledged the council's governance challenges, blaming persistent corruption on the absence of an effective Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to track allocations and backlogs. While condemning corruption, Mafume stopped short of detailing its extent.
"There are rotten apples in every system," Mafume said. "We do not condone corruption and are actively pursuing offenders. The law will catch them."
Reuben Akili, Director of the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), pointed to pay schemes as facilitators of cartel-like corruption within the council.
"Corruption is entrenched among officials operating as cartels," Akili said. "Pay schemes introduced during the Kasukuwere era have exacerbated the rot, replacing earlier housing cooperative models."
Akili urged structural reforms in housing governance, stressing the need for comprehensive policy reforms to close loopholes exploited by corrupt actors.
As the scandal deepens, it exposes a system that has betrayed Harare's residents, eroding public trust and draining millions. Resolving this crisis will require far more than inquiries and apologies — it demands a fundamental transformation of the council's operations and integrity.
Source - Business Times
