ED must address root causes at rotten Harare City Council

The Commission of Inquiry into the affairs of Harare City Council has concluded its work, and the verdict, by all early indications, is damning.

Mass arrests and suspensions appear imminent.

Corruption is said to be rampant, service delivery has collapsed, and institutions such as Harare Quarry and Rufaro Marketing have become cesspools of criminal syndicates and political interference.

What is now urgently required is not just a response—but a reset.

President Mnangagwa, to whom the Commission’s report will be submitted, must rise above the temptation of merely punishing symptoms.

He must summon the political will to deal with the root causes of Harare’s dysfunction, beginning with the broken governance architecture that has allowed rot to fester unchecked for years.

Yes, heads must roll. But that is only the beginning.

It is understood that this report has exposed a deep institutional decay—not just of individuals who abused public trust, but of the entire system that made such abuse possible, predictable, and profitable.

Harare’s problems are structural.

At their core lies the politicisation of municipal governance, the chronic use of acting appointments, the deliberate hollowing out of accountability systems, and a culture of impunity that has reduced city institutions into shadowy fiefdoms.

The findings around the procurement of a US$57m enterprise resource planning (ERP) system without Treasury or PRAZ approval are not just a red flag—they are a loud siren. This was not miscommunication or incompetence. It was a calculated bypassing of lawful processes, driven by greed and protected by political shields.

If the President stops only at arrests, the syndicates will simply regroup, rebrand, and resume operations.

This is the vicious cycle that has crippled not just Harare but several municipalities across the country.

The President must ensure that his administration enacts long-term reforms that go beyond the current purge.

A good place to start is to legislate the end of endless “acting” appointments in key city positions.

Acting directors and managers are inherently vulnerable to manipulation. They are less likely to take hard decisions or report wrongdoing if their positions depend on political patronage.

Making permanent, merit-based appointments is not a luxury. It is a necessity for any functional bureaucracy.

Secondly, President Mnangagwa must confront the elephant in the room: the toxic interface between local governance and political parties.

As long as city councillors and senior officials are protected by political networks, no audit, commission or tribunal will uproot corruption effectively.

The system itself must be unshackled from partisan capture. Town House is not a campaign base. It is the nerve centre of urban service delivery for over two million residents who are paying dearly—through potholes, uncollected garbage, dry taps and collapsing infrastructure—for the sins of those entrusted to govern them.

Furthermore, there is a glaring need for digital transformation to increase transparency.

A robust, modern ERP system—properly procured—must be prioritised.

The fact that Harare’s billing and financial systems can be so easily manipulated is not just a technical oversight; it is a deliberate design flaw exploited for looting.

Going forward, digital systems should be the bedrock of municipal accountability. Every dollar collected or disbursed must be traceable.

Every contract must be open to public scrutiny.

Technology should become the enemy of corruption, not its enabler.

Also crucial is the protection of whistleblowers.

The Commission’s revelations that anti-corruption crusaders faced death threats and attempted assassinations should provoke national outrage.

No society can defeat corruption if those who speak up are silenced through intimidation or worse.

President Mnangagwa must ensure that the architects of these threats are not just exposed, but brought to book.

A whistleblower protection law, long overdue, must be prioritised.

The tragedy of Harare is that this is not the first commission of inquiry, and unless bold action is taken, it won’t be the last.

Past recommendations have gathered dust while the rot deepened.

This time, things must be different. The credibility of the President’s anti-corruption drive depends on it.

Moreover, the dysfunction of Harare is not an isolated urban issue.

It reflects poorly on national governance. When the capital city fails, it sends a message to investors, tourists, and citizens that the country’s administrative core is in disarray.

No meaningful economic transformation can occur in a capital defined by collapsed sewers, broken traffic lights, and an almost non-existent waste management system.

The political reckoning that the Commission’s report may trigger must not be squandered.

It is a rare opportunity to do more than react.

It is a moment to reconstruct.

President Mnangagwa must use this juncture not just to punish, but to rebuild. To declare an end to the mafia networks that have turned Town House into a marketplace of corruption.

This editorial stands with the people of Harare, who have endured years of failure, neglect, and exploitation.

Their cries have finally been acknowledged through this Commission. But only decisive, systemic, and sustained reform will deliver justice.

The ball is firmly in the President’s court. And this time, he must strike at the roots.