More than US$4.5 million inexplicably vanished from the Harare City Council (HCC) through its subsidiary, Harare Quarry, exposing rampant corruption within the local authority.
This was revealed during the ongoing Commission of Inquiry investigating the operations of the HCC.
Harare Quarry received US$4.5 million from the City Council in 2018 to revive its operations. However, the money was blown with no traceable paper trail.
Mayor Jacob Mafume made the startling disclosure to the retired Justice Maphios Cheda-led Commission of Inquiry Thursday as he continued with his testimony.
"The money was stolen," Mafume said bluntly.
When pressed by Cheda on who was responsible for the theft and what measures had been taken to investigate the missing funds he replied: "The management of Quarry. We resolved to get the Police involved. What we did is, we instituted, what was done before we were elected as Councillors. This was done by the previous Council and the previous management.
"We were elected in 2018. The money was stolen, I am trying to think when the loan was advanced. I am not too sure."
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Harare Quarry, one of the City Council's subsidiaries, has become a hub of corruption, with top officials allegedly exploiting it for personal gain.
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The company has also not been remitting funds to the City Council despite its premises being leased to private companies.
Mafume acknowledged that the company has been a financial burden to the Council requiring constant bailouts.
"I am very passionate about that US$4 million because that US$4 million is the one that has caused us to have differences with the management that was there. I have pursued it in different Council meetings. I have taken the actions within my power.
"As of current, because the properties are being constantly attached, I have suggested that the entity be put under management or what we used to call liquidation. For the past three weeks, as Council we have had to pay amounts that are owed by the Quarry," said Mafume.
HCC chamber secretary Warren Chiwawa said the matter has been reported to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
"I had discussions with the Business Development manager, who confirmed that we indeed made a report after the matter came up in one of the committee meetings," said Chiwawa.
