By Correspondent
The state has been failing to successfully incriminate most of the high profile Harare Council officials it has arrested in the past three years.
Despite, plainly, making Harare City Council a target focus of the anti-corruption fight, many of its cases have failed.
To make it worse some of the officials have been acquitted at the close of the State’s case.
This has been due to its failure to prove the charges.
Marara Acquitted
This week former Harare City Council Acting Director of Housing Matthew Marara was acquitted of criminal abuse of office charges.
Marara and his co-accused, Aaron Tayerera, Acting Chief Clerical Officer, were being accused of the illegal allocation of residential stands.
However, the two, who had pleaded not guilty, were acquitted by Harare Regional Magistrate Taurai Manuwere.
The Magistrate said their conduct had been sanctioned by a Full Council resolution.
Nhekairo and Dzehonye Cleared
In 2022 Harare City Council directors Addmore Nhekairo and Edgar Dzehonye were cleared of u procedurally allocating stands to police officers and court officials.
The alleged crime had been committed in a bid to bribe the officers from investigating a fraud case against other council officials.
The Council officials were, themselves, suspected of unlawfully parceling out stands in Kuwadzana, Harare.
However, Nhekairo and Dzehonye were acquitted and discharged at the close of the State case.
Harare Regional Magistrate Mrs Feresi Chakanyuka ruled that there was nothing amiss in their conduct when they executed their duties.
Mrs Chakanyuka also ruled that the State failed to prove that the layout plan used was not approved.
Chisango And Accomplices Cleared
In May 2022, then suspended Harare City Council Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango, was acquitted in another corruption case.
Chisango was being charged together with Nhekairo and Town Planner Samuel Nyabezi.
The trio were accused of issuing stands in Kuwadzana to a land developing company.
Magistrate Taurai Manuwere ruled that the trio did not offend the law and acted within their duties as council officials.
Gun-Totting Council Official
City Council Chief security officer Dr Collen Tongoona was also cleared on charges of unlawfully taking possession of a council firearm.
He was accused of taking the gun for personal security without authority or approval from his boss.
According to court papers CR 114/12/21, Dr Tongoona (54) was being charged for unauthorised borrowing or use of property as defined in section 116 or failure to secure a firearm as defined in section 28 (2).
However, he was found not guilty and acquitted on both counts.
Two years ago, Council directors, Cainos Chingombe and Tendai Kwenda, were also acquitted after being accused of misappropriating funds meant for the provision of water, sanitation, education and recreational services.
They were accused of having bought themselves top of the range cars.
Chingombe and Kwenda were cleared of the criminal abuse of office as public officers and theft of trust property charges by Harare regional magistrate Mrs Vongai Guwiriro.
Chingombe was accused of transferring US$130 000 while Kwenda was accused of transferring US$70 000 from the council’s Traditional Beer Levy Account into their respective bank accounts and bought top of the range cars.
Mrs Guwuriro acquitted the two council directors after noting that the State failed to lead evidence through its witnesses which warranted their conviction.
A New Thrust or Old Moves
Such a poor track record has resulted in people losing confidence in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
President Mnangagwa has since moved Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo from ZACC to the NPA.
Matanda-Moyo took her oath of office on October 10 and has vowed to act differently.
“As I go into that office, we are definitely going to make some changes. We need a culture of hard work. We need a culture of concluding cases.
It remains to be seen how effective she will being in stopping the rampant corruption at Harare Council which is seemingly owned by no one.
