Harare residents have expressed reservations about a commission of inquiry that was recently appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to investigate the city council, saying it is a waste of money as the issues it is investigating are in the public domain.
Mnangagwa last month appointed the commission led by retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda to investigate the City of Harare’s management and council on issues dating back to 2017.
Other members of the commission are former MDC senior official Lucia Matibenga, Steven Chakaipa, Norbert Phiri and Khonzani Ncube, a Local Government ministry official.
Local Government and Public Works secretary John Bhasera is the commission’s secretary.
Sources at Town House told The Standard that some council officials were panicking as they felt they were being targeted through the commission.
“A lot has been happening at Harare City Council. There is a lot of back-biting that is going on and some officials are trying by all means to cover up for their corrupt activities,” the sources said.
The commission is set to investigate financial management systems and audit compliance with the Public Finance Management Act and to investigate financial management of revenue generated through special vehicle companies and other outsourced arrangements.
Cheda’s commission was directed to investigate reasons behind the failure to operate an enterprise resource planning system for Harare City Council and to quantify any losses accruing as a result.
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The commission is also set to investigate compliance with procurement laws, inclusive of disposal of assets and compliance with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act.
Former Finance and Economic Development minister Tendai Biti said he was expecting the commission to carry out a thorough investigation on land barons.
“The commission of inquiry must do a thorough job on land barons and some of them are building empires on the basis of stolen land, so it must do a thorough job establishing and tracing unlawful acquisition of land that has taken place since 2000 by the land barons,” Biti said.
“The housing list of Harare City Council is almost three million people and it’s ridiculous that some people will acquire land, the land has been stolen in Harare.”
Harare Residents Trust executive director Precious Shumba said residents expect the commission to take a hardline stance on corrupt officials at town house.
He, however, expressed reservations on the commission saying it was unnecessary given the amount of information on Harare that was in the public domain.
“The commission of inquiry will only confirm what previous reports by the auditor general have revealed about the state of the financial management and governance of affairs of residents of Harare,” Shumba said.
“Our hope is that the commission of inquiry will take a hard-line stance on corrupt deeds by policymakers and bureaucrats without hesitation.
“Our worry, however, is that the commission’s investigation will be hindered by the deliberate holding back of critical information by council bureaucrats and councillors.”
Combined Harare Residents Association chairperson Reuben Akili took a dig at the commission, saying it was unnecessary.
“The auditor ceneral and Parliament have raised some corruption deeds on Harare City Council in the last few years,” Akili said.
“The key question is what are the new findings the commission will uncover?
“There is a need to exhaust all legal channels from the auditor general findings and Parliament.
“We envisaged Parliament recommending a forensic audit and then lay criminal charges on those who would have been found on the wrong side of the law.
“The issues of the local authority working without substantive directors, including the director of finance have been legacy issues, and there was no local board which had a mandate in the hiring and firing of senior local authority officials and in our view the financial chaos in the local authority has been also contributed to, by the lack of a substantive director.”
Akili questioned the composition of the commission saying it was conflicted as an official from the Local Government is the secretary considering directives they have given to the local authority.
Previous commissions of inquiry appointed by the government have been accused of receiving hefty allowances at the expense of government, clashing with residents in the process.
