Ex-soldier wades into Mafume, Chisango war
…Mayor says ex-army boss a ghost worker …as Minister calls for order

KUDAKWASHE CHIBVURI
As the fight for the control of Town House climaxes, a former top soldier has claimed he was in council to use his military background to protect corruption-accused Town Clerk, Hosea Chisango and shield him from a combative Mayor, Jacob Mafume.
This follows a recent exposé by Business Times that military officials were shielding elements perceived as corrupt at Town House for their own selfish gains.
Chisango has been on several occasions arrested and charged for alleged abuse of office and corruption but in a show of force, he has found himself back in office, a sign there were forces blowing wind beneath his wings.
The former top soldier, Retired Major Matthew Marara told a commission of inquiry recently that he was in council to deal with threats to Chisango, his known ally who he claimed was under fire from a militant Mafume.
“There has been bad blood between the Town Clerk and the Mayor. They have been fighting and it’s there for everyone to know,” Marara said.
“Everyone in council knows that the Town Clerk and the Mayor have been fighting because the Mayor wants to take the powers of the Town Clerk by the virtue of him being on top. So, I don’t know how council workers can be liberated,” Marara said.
I’m one person who has been targeted, I think mainly because of my background (military). Council has made a lot of efforts to get me out of this system, the council system, because I have always stood by the procedures that must be followed by council,” he added.
“In many occasions in committee meetings, I have pointed out to certain resolutions that have been made by council that it is not their responsibility.”
“I can use the word liberated because we are in bondage at council. That’s the truth of what is happening in council. Councillors want to delve into what they are not supposed to be doing,” he added.
“I will say it without fear but I know I am digging my own grave when I go back to council. The truth must be known by the world that this council, City of Harare, is not running things correctly. They choose which directives to follow and which ones not to follow.”
Mafume however hit back at Marara saying he was part of the rot at Town House adding that his unsanctioned US$12000 salary was clear testimony of a looting agenda.
“We do not even know what position he is holding, what work he is doing, what contract he has,” Mafume said about Marara.
“This has been hidden from the councillors and hidden from the local government. As far as it stands, we are not aware what he has done to be even to be paid by council itself. The councillors do not even know how much these people are getting paid.”
An irate Mafume described Marara as a “sick individual” who is just earning a lot of money for nothing.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said heads will roll in the chaotic council.
“What I can agree with you now is the City of Harare is rotten,” Garwe said. “The Councillors are rotten, the senior officials are rotten. It’s a rotten system that we want to correct but we don’t want to make knee-jerk decisions.
“We want the Commission of Inquiry to go through all the processes, interview whoever they can interview, unearth all the information that they can unearth and make recommendations to His Excellency (President Emmerson Mnangagwa). His Excellency will then direct us on the next course of action to ensure that we bring the City of Harare to order, we bring sanity to the City of Harare.”
“We are paying rates for services that are being delivered not what is obtaining right now. We have to put a stop to it and the commission is concluding, I think in a month’s time they’ll have concluded their investigations.”