Mafume, councillors at centre of Harare City’s corporate governance scandal

HARARE – The Commission of Inquiry investigating Harare City Council’s operations since 2017 has unearthed alarming corporate governance issues, revealing that councillors, including the Mayor Jacob Mafume, are overstepping their boundaries and behaving like permanent employees.

Matthew Marara, an executive assistant to the Town Clerk, a controversial post allegedly created corruptly for him, appeared this week before the commission of inquiry chaired by retired Justice Maphios Cheda.

Marara himself is not exempt from the massive rot facing the City of Harare. Last week, he unabashedly revealed that he earns a staggering US$12,000 per month.

The embattled council executive this week claimed that councillors hold meetings nearly every other week, which often disrupts council operations and exerts undue influence over the daily management of the city.

This, according to Marara, intensified the fights between Mafume and suspended Town Clerk Hosea Chisango.

He accused the councillors of usurping the powers of the Town Clerk and making decisions that serve their own interests.

“Our Councillors are always at work with us, as if they are employees of the council,” Marara said.

“Councillors tend to get into operations to usurp the powers of the Town Clerk. No wonder there has been bad blood between the Town Clerk and the Mayor, they have been fighting and it’s for everyone to know.

“The current council (councillors) that we have is usurping executive powers. Council should operate like a board.”

Marara specifically mentioned Mayor Mafume, saying he often calls low-level workers to his office, giving directives that undermine the proper chain of command.

“You will find the Mayor himself, calling a low level workers to his office, giving directives when it is not supposed to be like that. I will say it without fear,” Marara said.

“I know I am digging my own grave when I go back to council. But the truth must be known by the world that this council, the city of Harare is not running things correctly,” Marara said.

“We used to have committees sitting once a month but now they may even sit twice or thrice a week making decisions of their own interests.”

This is not the first time Harare City councillors have faced criticism. Last year, they were accused of misusing ratepayers’ money, spending millions of US dollars on lavish workshops at hotels, where attendees received hefty allowances.

Asked by a Nehanda Radio journalist to respond to the allegations made by Marara, Mafume was seemingly evasive.

He asked the journalist: “Which operation in particular has been interfered with?

“Which councillor in particular, and who do they report to?”

“Is he the guy earning US$12 000 a month? They are so vague. He must carry his own cross,” he said.

Chisango, last year, revealed that councillors squandered over US$11 million on weekly workshops and seminars between January and July the same year. This is happening at a time when the council is struggling to deliver basic services like clean water, garbage collection, and road maintenance.

He also stated that councillors had assumed executive powers, leading to unnecessary expenditure, and that the high expenditure was partly due to the increased number of councillors.

Chisango testified that he initially turned down some workshops but eventually gave in to councillors’ pressure, fearing they could use council resolutions to have him fired.

He recommended that council operations be regulated from outside to prevent the excessive looting of council resources by councillors. Chisango also criticized councillors for interfering with the day-to-day management of the city, including tender processes, which is not part of their mandate.