Exposed: Councillors, officials turn Harare City Council into feeding trough

KUDAKWASHE CHIBVURI

Harare councillors and officials have turned Harare City Council into feeding trough following revelations they have been fleecing desperate home seekers of their hard-earned money, allocating them land in the wetlands across the city, it has been learnt.

This was revealed at the commission of inquiry investigating the capital city’s financial management and affairs.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed a commission in May this year, led by retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda, to look at the local authority’s financial management systems and other operations from 2017.

Appearing before the commission this week, councillor Cecilia Chimbiri, the chairperson of the Environment Management Committee, said many councillors have profited from wetlands and sand poaching, calling the practices a national disaster.

“….the councillors and officials have been working together to siphon money from desperate land seekers,” Chimbiri said adding that “committee chairpersons are reluctant to read reports, and at times they receive outdated reports, paving the way for further corrupt practices”.

“Most councillors lack zeal, are incompetent, and have no commitment to serve. Instead, they are busy looting money.”

The director of the Harare Residents Trust, Precious Shumba, told The Business Times that they have repeatedly voiced their worries about officials  and councillors  putting residents at risk by permitting developments in wetlands.

 “Wetlands act as sponges that absorb rainwater. When people settle there, they risk experiencing flash floods during the rainy season,” Shumba said.

He underlined that this problem has been sustained by the cooperation of council members and land barons.

 “Regularization, by its very nature, endorses corrupt land allocation,” he said.

He said residents need to be relocated to appropriate land, as stipulated by the Regional Town and the Urban Council Act, instead of being placed in hazardous areas due to the housing shortage.

Reached out for a comment Engineer Mabhena Moyo, the acting town clerk for the Harare City Council, admitted that errors had been made in the distribution of wetlands’ land.

 “I acknowledge there is a mistake in the allocations of land on wetlands,” Moyo said.

“The City of Harare is working tirelessly to address this issue and compensate affected residents.”