By Fani Mapfumo
MDC’s Accountability and Integrity Panel (AIP) chairperson Thabani Mpofu says his team will investigate the conduct of business by Harare City Council (HCC) councillors in the coming weeks.
This comes on the back of rampant corruption within the council.
Mpofu said his panel was going to look into all council contracts with view to establish their worth and how they were given, among others.
He said the panel also sought to establish if the contracts were of benefit to Harare residents and other stakeholders.
Mpofu said the panel would work with anyone involved in service delivery regardless of their political affiliation.
“Efficiency and effectiveness benefits everyone, whether from MDC or Zanu PF because issues of service delivery benefit everyone since we all use the same potholed roads, reticulation system and shops,” Mpofu added.
He said the team would give a report on the out come of that investigation, and action would be taken against those found on the wrong side of the law.
“We will soon table a report of our findings and advise on the next course of action,” Mpofu said.
He said his team would ensure there were no sacred cows in the execution of their mandate and no stone would be left unturned in returning sanity to HCC.
Mpofu said the panel was established so that they maintain a culture of transparency, accountability and integrity whenever they are call to.
He further said his team would work with all constitutional institutions to prosecute perpetrators and if need be, thre would be room for private prosecution.
AIP was appointed by MDC leader Nelson Chamisa with the mandate to monitor and hold to account MDC leaders holding public office.
The establishment of the panel comes at a time residents in various cities and towns have accused councillors of being corrupt.
Various MDC councillors have been accused of abusing their proximity to power by turning into land barons themselves.
Recently, HCC officials were fingerered in the illegal selling of wetlands, among them Sherwood Golf Club in Malbereign.
The council has also been involved in the issuance of dubious contracts to companies connected to some councillors and senior management at Town House.
Some of the contracts are believed to have prejudiced the council of millions of dollars and stalling service delivery, leaving Harare residents shortchanged.
Meanwhile, Mpofu said his team was not on a witch-hunt, but only looking to bring sanity to HCC and ensure party representatives served the interests of all stakeholders.
“We are not on a witch hunt but only seek to clean-up governance structures causing impediments to proper and effective service delivery,” he concluded. Zim Morning Post
