HARARE – A whopping US$11 million has been wasted by the Harare City Council on weekly workshops for councillors between January and July this year, at a time when the council is struggling to provide basic services, including water and road repairs, the commission probing the city’s governance was told on Tuesday.
Thabani Mpofu, the evidence leader of the commission of inquiry, was informed by Hosiah Chisango, the Harare City Council (HCC) Town Clerk, who was testifying before the commission.
The commission, which was established by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in May, is chaired by retired Justice Maphios Cheda.
Chisango revealed that the workshops by councillors have been held in resort towns and cities such as Victoria Falls, Kariba, Kadoma and Mutare.
Justice Cheda and his five member commission heard that US$11 million was splashed on hotel accommodation and allowances.
“The citizens of Harare have no protection of councillors as matters stand,” Mpofu said to Chisango who is appearing before the commission.
“There is abuse,” Chisango answered.
Chisango said the excessive looting of council resources by councillors requires that council operations be regulated from outside the council.
Chisango who is appearing at the commission of inquiry under guard from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS), said councillors have been interfering with the day to day management of the city which is outside their mandate.
“They (councillors) have been interfering with tender processes,” Chisango said.
The council’s procurement system has been in disarray, resulting in the failure to procure an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system since 2019, Chisango stated.
He specifically accused Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume of overstepping his bounds by interfering in the procurement process, which is a matter for administrative handling.
Told by the investigator that PRAZ gave the commission evidence showing that the council’s administration was incompetent, Chisango said the observation was, “a fair one”.
The council, Chisango said, is using a temporal Sage system since 2019. The Treasury, this year, did not approve the HCC budget due to the absence of the ERP.
Chisango is currently being detained over criminal abuse of office charges involving the US$9,2 million street lights tender illegally awarded to Zanu-PF controversial businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu’s company Juluka Enndo Joint Venture.
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