By News Hour
HARARE- The Harare City Council (HCC) squandered US$11 million on weekly workshops for councillors between January and July.
This lavish expenditure occured at a time when the city of Harare is grappling with a severe service delivery crisis, including water shortages, failure to collect refuse, pothole ridden roads and dilapidated infrastructure.
HCC Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango, on Tuesday appearing before the Commission of Inquiry into the city’s governance made this startling revelation.
Chisango disclosed that the workshops were held in luxurious resort towns and cities such as Victoria Falls, Kariba,Kadoma, and Mutare.
The council’s extravagant spending included substantial amounts on hotel accommodation and allowances for councillors.
The Commission’s Evidence Leader, Thabani Mpofu, expressed deep concern over the council’s misuse of public funds.
“The citizens of Harare have no protection of councillors as matters stand,” Mpofu quizzed Chisango.
“There is abuse,” responded Chisango.
Chisango said that the excessive looting of council resources by councillors necessitated external regulation of the council’s operations.
He further revealed that councillors had been interfering with the day-to-day management of the city,overstepping their mandated roles.
“They (councillors) have been interfering with tender processes,” said Chisango.
HCC’s procurement system has been in disarray, leading to the failure to procure an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system since 2019.
Chisango specifically accused Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume of interfering in the procurement process, which is a matter for administrative handling.
In response to the investigator’s assertion that PRAZ’s evidence indicated the council’s administration was incompetent, Chisango admitted that the observation was “a fair one.”
HCC has been using a temporary Sage system since 2019, and the Treasury has withheld its budget approval due to the absence of the ERP.
Chisango is currently detained on charges of criminal abuse of office related to the US$9.2 million street lights tender illegally awarded to Zanu PF connected businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu’s company Juluka Enndo Joint Venture.