Ex-Town Clerk Cleared in $80 Million No-Tender Case
Ex-Town Clerk Cleared in $80 Million No-Tender Case
Former Harare town clerk Tendai Mahachi has been acquitted of charges related to allegedly bypassing tender procedures for a US$80 million contract with Augur Investments on roadworks for Harare’s Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Expressway.
Prosecutors had accused Mahachi of engaging Augur without a public tender, claiming he signed a Memorandum of Agreement along with city official Michael Mahachi in May 2008.
Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti dismissed the case, citing a lack of evidence showing Mahachi’s role in the executive decision-making process. The court heard that a key witness, Dr. Mafoti, testified that it was the executive committee, not Mahachi, that approved the project.
Mahachi’s lawyer, Admire Rubaya, argued that Mahachi acted under instructions from Harare’s executive authority and was not responsible for choosing or vetting contractors.
Rubaya asserted that the committee’s actions, including forming a joint venture with Augur for the airport road and other projects, reflected decisions made independently of Mahachi’s involvement.
