Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has exposed a can of worms regarding how Council executives embezzled over US$1 million to purchase the latest vehicles in an inexplicable scheme.
Mafume made these revelations on Tuesday as he concluded his testimony before the Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating the operations of the Harare City Council.
In 2023, the Harare City Council (HCC) executive, led by the then Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango, purchased Toyota Fortuners using remittances from Harare City Park--a subsidiary of the HCC.
Mafume revealed that the vehicles are being used by top officials, and no action has been taken to explain the purchase, which was made without the Council's approval.
"That is one of the biggest challenges because last year City Parking brought to the City Council about a million. When we started asking where that US$1 million went that is where the problem began and I am told that the US$1 million was used to purchase executive cars or Fortuners and so forth," said Mafume.
Mafume told the Commission, led by retired Justice Maphios Cheda, that the purchase of the top-of-the-range vehicles was made when the Council was dissolved ahead of the elections.
"It happened towards 2023. Towards the elections. City Parking used to enforce one by-law which is the parking by-law then we made a resolution for them to enforce another by-law to give them two.
"The sharing of the revenue was that they collect the revenue and we get 50 percent of that. Now because it was the first time they implemented that by-law, it raised US$2 million and the US$1 million was then remitted to the City Council.
"We were going to the elections and the City Council dissolved. When we came back we said what happened with that US$1 million because we had earmarked it for doing the parking and all that. We were told that it was used. What it was used for and how it was used and we then learnt that purchases of vehicles for the Executives had been done in the time whilst we had the electioneering," he said.
- Harare losing US$10 million a year due to opaque billing system; says Mayor Mafume, last council audit done six years ago
- Harare Town Clerk Chisango's acquittal in US$9 million fraud case raises stink
The chaos currently reigning at the Town House has been attributed to the lack of a functioning Electronic Resource Planning (ERP) system.
The absence of an ERP system has resulted in financial mismanagement and unaccounted leakages of funds by the City Council.
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The Commission of Inquiry's evidence leader, Thabani Mpofu, revealed that executives at the Council are spending US$125,000 per year on holidays. The Town Clerk is entitled to one international trip per year, while other executives are entitled to a regional trip.
These holidays are paid for using ratepayers' money, which the Council has claimed it does not have, hence the poor service delivery in the city.
When questioned about the astronomical figures, Mafume professed ignorance, stating that he was shocked by the amounts.
"From the figures, I will have no right to dispute those figures they do not come through me. I have no access to that. I am actually shocked at the figures and the information because they come at a time when we as Councillors are being asked and everybody is being asked to tighten their belts. Others are loosening," said Mafume.
Meanwhile, the Commission of Inquiry has completed its public hearings. The Commission will compile a report, which will be presented to President Emmerson Mnangagwa upon finalisation.
