By Correspondent
Delays in the production of the Harare Commission of Inquiry Report have left many officials vulnerable who testified.
Harare Residents Trust (HRT) says the delay has allowed criminal cartels to wrest power at Town House.
“Decisions made by the Harare in the aftermath of the Inquiry show that the Commission might have been compromised.
“(This was due to) its failure to give protection to senior Council Executives and councillors who gave detailed testimonies of maladministration, corruption and rampant abuse of power and authority by the Mayor and a few individuals within the council.
“The Commission turned a blind eye and let staff transfers and victimisation thrive even as the Commission conducted its investigations.
HRT said it might not be surprising to learn that some of the people who had a legal duty to safeguard and protect Harare residents were allocated huge residential and commercial stands and money, as part of silencing them.
“Money has been repeatedly used to silence critical voices.
It added that Council funds, especially at Rufaro Marketing and Harare Quarry, are being controlled by people who should not be involved with them.
“Some of the key officials within the cartel controlling Council sit on more than three boards of council businesses.
“(This has allowed them to) monopolise the council’s financial resources, by determining utilisation and allocation.
“Just check who sits on what board, and the picture becomes clearer.
“This explains why some incompetent Harare City Councillors appear to be powerful and wealthy.
Justice Cheda’s Hearing
The Justice Maphios Cheda-led Commission of Inquiry looked into the financial matters of the City of Harare.
Various officials who presented gave evidence of multiple acts of corruption happening at Town House.
Mayor Jacob Mafume was among those accused of criminal corruption.
He was alleged to have committed acts of corruption, abuse of power and authority.
Other criminal actions cited include procurement deals, land corruption and other illegalities.
HRT says these can only be silenced by further acts of corruption by those implicated.
“The Mayor is supposed to be a competent and successful legal practitioner.
“(However) he spends most of his time at Town House trying to act like he is an executive mayor, managing the affairs of the City of Harare daily.
De Facto Town Clerk
As a result of his interventionist practices at Town House, HRT says Mafume has become the Town Clerk.
“Under the current governance system, the Mayor and councillors are civic leaders.
“They should have their jobs elsewhere, coming to Town House to make policy decisions in their respective committees, and in full council meetings.
“The daily administrative and technical issues are handled by the bureaucracy led by the Town Clerk.
“Instead of building his legal practice, the Mayor has acted mostly like the de facto Town Clerk.
“He is entangled in the affairs of strategic business units, victimising senior council managers who question his leadership approaches and challenge his proxies in the council.
