I am Playing an Oversight Role to Prevent a Complete Breakdown of HCC: Mafume

By Loyd Matare
Mayor Jacob Mafume says he has intervened in the council affairs to prevent a complete breakdown of the Harare City Council, as workers, including nurses, threaten to go on strike over unresolved welfare grievances.
The council’s clinics may shut down if the strike goes ahead, exacerbating the city’s already dire health situation, with cholera and diarrhea outbreaks looming as the rainy season approaches.
Testifying before a commission of inquiry, Mafume revealed that the council has been struggling to stay afloat, with a non-functional committee and a salary bill of around US$2 million per month.
The council employs close to 9,000 employees, and Mafume warned that if labor relations with employees and trade unions deteriorate further, all council functions will grind to a halt.
Mafume also alleged that the municipal medical aid scheme was being abused, with properties being bought and title deeds not being transferred to the council.
He claimed that US$1 million had been stolen from the scheme. The mayor attended Municipal Medical Aid Association meetings to investigate the allegations.
The City of Harare faces numerous service delivery challenges, and Mafume’s intervention has raised questions about the functionality of the council’s committees.
When asked about his involvement in matters typically handled by committee chairs, Mafume stated that the committee was dysfunctional, citing the procurement management unit as an example.
“We have a procurement management unit, but it is not functional, in my opinion and based on the evidence at hand,” Mafume said.
“In my view, it is a dysfunctional department, and I can substantiate this claim.”