By Correspondent
Suspended Harare Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango has been operating with an illegal contract that has no time limit according to revelations.
According to Mayor Mafume, Chisango drafted and approved the contract for himself in July 2023.
Chisango’s contract, initially signed for four years, expired in 2023 and was not renewed.
Usually TC’s have 4-year contracts which are renewed subject to satisfaction by the Council.
The Local Government Board (LGB) gives the final approval.
However, at the end of his previous 4 year term Chisango clandestinely gave himself a new contract.
“At the expiry of your fixed term contract around July 2023, you proceeded to give yourself a contract without limit of time.
“(This was) without the knowledge and authority of Council and the approval of the Local Government Board.
Chisango’s move was also in direct contravention of a Local Government circular issued on the 26th of June 2014.
According to the Ministry’s circular number 86, heads of local authorities are allowed to serve a four-year term.
The renewal option for one year is based on satisfactory performance.
To support his move Chisango allegedly effected changes to the council organogram and structure.
He unilaterally appointed some senior council officers to Grades 1, 2 and 3 without Council Authority.
Again, this was without the approval of the Local Governance Board.
Chisango and Human Capital Director Mathew Marara allegedly awarded themselves lucrative Grade One contracts.
This essentially made both of them Town Clerks!
Suspended
In a bid to restore order Council has since suspended Chisango with pay and benefits.
“You are hereby suspended from all your duties as the Town clerk with effect from the 30th of September 2024.
“The employer has a good cause to believing that you have committed a serious misconduct.
However, Chisango has denied altering the council’s organogram and appointing senior officials without authority.
“The human resources and general purposes committee is the committee responsible for structures.
“A perusal of their minutes will show that there are no changes that were done without a full council resolution,” he said.
His lawyers said, “Our client is not aware of any senior official appointed to Grade 1 since the organisation only has the town clerk in Grade 1.
“Other appointments were a result of a job evaluation, which was carried out by council and the report was adopted by the full council of August 18, 2023, which was ably chaired by the Mayor.
Chisango has since disputed that he is on a fixed-term contract and requested council to produce a copy of the contract.
While the suspension is meant to redeem Council’s standing the whole drama has raised more questions.
At a time the Commission of Inquiry has been disemboweling it, this episode reveals more rot at Council.
