A report on Harare City Council’s operations since 2017 is now complete and awaiting presentation to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, lifting the lid on deep-rooted corruption, missing millions, and brazen abuse of public office.
The report is the result of a Commission of Inquiry appointed by President Mnangagwa last year and led by retired High Court judge, Justice Maphios Cheda.
The five-member commission was tasked with investigating governance at the beleaguered local authority.
Over several months of public hearings, the commission unearthed eye-watering findings.
More than 5,000 illegal stands were reportedly doled out ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections, and 350 housing cooperatives were dubiously regularised.
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It didn’t stop there—executives were living large while the city struggled to deliver basic services.
One of the most explosive revelations: the town clerk’s salary reportedly reached a staggering US$30,000 a month with perks, while the lowest-paid executive pocketed US$15,000 — all without the required approval from the Local Government Board.
City directors, operating without payslips, splurged US$124,000 on foreign trips and blew US$1 million on luxury vehicles — all during the sensitive pre-election period.
Justice Cheda confirmed yesterday that the final report is now in the hands of the Attorney-General’s Office.
“The report is now ready. It is now a matter of securing an appointment to brief His Excellency. Justice Cheda and his team are ready to present it,” said Attorney-General Virginia Mabiza.
The report, according to The Herald, also exposes systemic financial hemorrhaging: a US$105 million shortfall under murky circumstances, US$70 million in annual losses due to shoddy systems, and the disappearance of a US$4.5 million loan facility intended for Harare Quarry.
But perhaps more shocking if not bizarre is the revelation that 100 head of cattle were being stolen each month, and 60,000 houses remained unbilled, depriving the city of essential revenue.
In addition to Justice Cheda, the panel included governance expert Steven Chakaipa, Lucia Gladys Matibenga, Khonzani Ncube, and initially Norbert Phiri who was later replaced by lawyer Tafadzwa Charles Hungwe.
The Permanent Secretary for Local Government and Public Works, Dr John Basera, served as secretary to the commission.
The team operated under an initial six-month mandate, later extendable by three months, investigating eight specific areas including financial systems, adherence to the Public Finance Management Act, outsourced revenue collection mechanisms, and the non-implementation of a critical enterprise resource planning system.
With the report now awaiting the President’s eyes, all eyes turn to what action will follow and whether heads will roll at Town House.
