Death threats rock Town House
…whistle-blowers threatened with murder

KUDAKWASHE CHIBVURI
A Harare City Council official has described Town House as a death trap saying the environment has become toxic with those exposing corruption being threatened with death while others have been poisoned.
This came out during the Commission of Inquiry where a senior official who is acting Human Capital Director Bosman Matengarufu told the Justice Maphios Cheda-led team how it has become almost impossible to expose the rot at the metropolis.
He said he has received death threats, survived an assassination attempt and was poisoned as the cartels tried to silence him.
The commission was appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa last year to probe suspected cases of financial mismanagement and corruption in Harare from 2017.
Matengarufu narrated how he was also chased out of a workshop in Chinhoyi in 2020 by a gun-wielding individual.
“The City of Harare is a toxic environment,” he said. “I was poisoned twice and it’s on record. I was chased away at a Chinhoyi workshop with a gun to deter me from exposing corruption in any way.”
Asked by Justice Cheda about the reason for his poisoning, Matengarufu said: “I was demoted after Marara’s return from allegations of corruption. I was acting in his place during his absence due to corruption charges. After Marara returned, I was demoted, and that’s when the fight began.”
He said Marara created a non-existent position in the council and was allocated a substantial sum of money, igniting controversy.
“There are matters within the council you should never tamper with if you want to live. (These are) land, appointments, water, procurement,” he said.
His testimony seems to confirm speculation that one of the key council officials who had threatened in a letter to the Local Government ministry to expose rampant graft at the local authority, was killed by the cartel.
The official, Dr. Funny Machipisa, who served as District Administration Manager, died under mysterious circumstances last year.
His family believes it was foul play.
Machipisa had previously expressed concerns about being pushed out of his position to silence him. In a letter dated July 9, 2024, Machipisa revealed he was targeted for opposing councillors’ wishes for residential stands in affluent areas instead of their respective wards.
Machipisa warned that their plan to remove him was to prevent his testimony before the ongoing Commission of Inquiry.
“Cartels and cabals have been employed to settle scores against both councillors and officials,” he lamented.
Appearing before the Commission last year, suspended Harare Town Clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango described the situation at Town House as toxic, sensationally accusing Mayor Jacob Mafume of leading a cartel and exercising unconstitutional powers to dismiss officials for personal gain.
Appearing before the Commission yesterday, Marara also confirmed that Harare was a death trap while justifying why he was getting a “security allowance” adding he was afraid of the “mafia.”