GOVERNMENT says the Commission of Inquiry which is investigating the Harare City Council (HCC) will continue with its mandate for the next three months although it was supposed to end on January 22.
This comes as President Emmerson Mnangagwa set up a commission last year in May amid reports of possible corruption and financial mismanagement at the local authority. Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, the permanent secretary in the ministry of Justice, Vimbai Nyemba, said the commission was legally carrying out its mandate “which for all intents and purposes has not expired”.
“Statutory Instrument 180 of 2024 by proclamation 2 of 2024, President Emmerson Mnangagwa directed that the inquiry shall be held for a period of six months from the date of gazetting, with an option of an extension of a further 3 months as shall be determined by the Commission of Inquiry.
“A further proclamation No.5 of 2024 was made by President Mnangagwa under SI 180 of 2024 where the six month period was extended to nine months and the option of an extension remained as three months because the amendment did not affect it.
“The nine months, therefore, expired on 22 January 2025. The commission is, therefore, within the three month extension option. The mandate has, therefore, not expired,” Nyemba explained.
The commission has since unearthed evidence of abuse of authority by HCC senior officials. In August the commission established that Harare councillors invaded and parcelled out more than 5 000 illegal plots ahead of 2023 harmonised elections.
It also established that Harare City top officials earn over US$12 000 per month with 60 percent of revenues going to salaries.
The commission was also told that Harare Quarry, has been operating in secrecy, failing to declare its revenue, profits or dividends to the council since 2018 with US$4,5 million loan to it in 2017 embezzled.
It further heard that Harare City Medical Aid Society bought a house in Ruwa, Mashonaland East, for a staggering US$1 million. Council is losing US$70 million annually in uncollected revenue.
This year it heard that mayor Jacob Mafume and several other officials were involved in a number of shady deals prejudicing the local authority of millions of US dollars It has also emerged that over 340 illegal housing cooperatives were hurriedly regularised ahead of 2023 harmonised elections and that HCC rejected a HIT developed US$350 000 ERP system in favour of a US$51 million foreign alternative.
