By Correspondent
President Mnangagwa appointed a Commission of Inquiry to investigate Harare City Council.
Below we run profiles on the group which is composed of five officials.
They are Retired Judge Maphios Cheda, as Chairperson, Steven Chakaipa, Norbert Phiri, Lucia Gladys Matibenga, Ms Khonzani Ncube and John Bhasera as Secretary.
Commission Chairperson-Maphios Cheda
Cheda is a retired Judge who has had a very long career in the legal sector.
His career began in 1975 when he joined the legal system as a Court Clerk.
He rose through the ranks until he became a High Court Judge.
In 2013, Justice Cheda worked as High Court Judge in Namibia where he helped the country establish an e-justice system.
More on Judge Cheda can be read here.
Lucia Matibenga
Lucia Matibenga is a politician, with MDC-Renewal, and former trade unionist.
During the Government of National Unity between 2011 and 2013, she was the Minister of Labour and Public Service.
She was also member of parliament for Kuwadzana Constituency before she was expelled when she joined MDC Renewal.
She was once chairperson of the Women’s Council in the MDC-T party.
Norbert Phiri
Phiri is a lawyer with Muvingi and Mugadza Legal Practitioners.
His array of qualifications include LLB Hons (UZ), LLM Insurance Law, Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning (UFS) and a Diploma in Insurance (CII).
He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators United Kingdom (MCIArb).
Phiri is also a Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators Southern Africa (FAArb)
At the law firm he is a senior partner and the head of Head of Intellectual Property, Conveyancing and Insurance Practice
Previously he has been the president of the Rotary Club of Harare.
Khonzani Ncube
She has been a Government bureaucrat for many years and currently is the Chief Director in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
Steven Chakaipa
Chakaipa is the current chairperson of the Local Government Board.
This is a Government body established to oversee and provide guidance to local authorities in the country.
Already the board has some issues with Harare City Council after it nullified interviews conducted to select a substantive Chamber Secretary.
Chakaipa also lectures at Midlands University in the in the Department of Governance and Public Management.
Previously he has been deputy secretary for Local Government Administration and also Provincial Administrator for Midlands.
Chakaipa also worked as Town Clerk for Redcliff.
The other member of the Commission of Inquiry is John Bhasera.
He is the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government.
Previously he was with the Ministry of Agriculture where he won plaudits for his efficiency and transformation of the sector.
