Govt must act now or the city falls

This week, the Commission of Inquiry , appointed to look into Harare’s affairs, concluded its hearings, laying bare the shocking depth of corruption, mismanagement, and criminality at Town House.

The revelations were staggering – billions looted, a leadership consumed by greed, and a governance system hijacked by cartels.

The city, is now a crumbling metropolis, suffocating under the weight of its own decay.

At the heart of this crisis is a City Council that has ceased to function as a governing institution and has instead become a crime syndicate, operating under the guise of municipal leadership.

The question now is simple: What will President Emmerson Mnangagwa do?

With the evidence presented by Justice Maphios Cheda’s commission, there is no room for excuses.

The people of Harare demand action. They demand accountability. And they demand it now.

For years, residents have endured a deteriorating quality of life.

Roads are pothole-ridden death traps, garbage collection is sporadic at best, and clean water is a luxury rather than a basic right.

Yet, while services have collapsed, City Council officials have been living large—siphoning millions from council coffers, enriching themselves at the expense of the people they are supposed to serve.

At the centre of this looting scandal is Mayor Jacob Mafume, who was publicly humiliated during the hearings when he attempted to mislead the commission about a Greendale property suspected to have been bought with illicit funds. Instead of leading investigators to his residence, he took them to a car dealership owned by a Mr. Pfukwa. The deception was so blatant that the commission fined him US$300 and forced him to apologize.

But Mafume is just one piece of the puzzle. The hearings exposed a cartel of councillors and senior officials—including suspended Town Clerks Hosea Chisango and Phakamile Mabhena Moyo—who treated the council like a personal bank, according to who testified before the Commission of Enquiry.

They said these officials presided over a system where funds meant for service delivery were diverted into private accounts, luxury lifestyles, and extravagant foreign trips.

The rot in Harare’s governance has reached a dangerous level—where guns, violence, and death threats are now part of daily operations.

Matthew Marara, a former military officer who now serves as executive assistant to the Town Clerk, testified that he carries a gun for protection, fearing for his life amid power struggles within the council. His admission sent shockwaves through the commission, as it revealed just how deep the culture of fear and intimidation runs.

Even more disturbing, John Ulete, an official aligned with Mafume’s faction, was accused of pulling a gun on a senior official at Rufaro Marketing—a council-owned entity crippled by corruption.

The case of Bosman Matengarufu, the acting Human Capital Director, further exposed the dangers faced by those who attempt to challenge the corrupt system. He testified about death threats, a near-assassination attempt, and poisoning—all linked to his efforts to resist the looting.

But perhaps the most chilling case is that of Machipisa, a former District Administration Manager who had reportedly threatened to expose rampant corruption in land allocations.

He died under mysterious circumstances, leaving his family convinced that his death was not natural.

The commission revealed that Harare has lost over $270m since 2019, largely due to a deliberate failure to implement an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. This financial loophole allowed corrupt officials to manipulate records, making it easier to loot funds without detection.

The corruption is so widespread that even councillors admitted to looting public resources—through fake workshops, inflated contracts, and ghost employees.

Harare residents are furious. They have endured years of suffering while their elected leaders have indulged in unchecked looting.

Resident associations have praised the commission for finally exposing the truth, but they warn that exposing corruption is not enough—there must be real consequences.

Precious Shumba, Director of the Harare Residents Trust, described the city as a crime scene—where officials sanitize incompetence and celebrate looting.

The responsibility to clean up this mess now rests squarely on President Mnangagwa’s shoulders.

The Minister of Local Government, Daniel Garwe, has already hinted at severe consequences for corrupt officials, warning that the government will not tolerate further looting.

Beyond corruption, the commission also exposed a shocking lack of competence among councillors.

Many officials lack the qualifications to hold their positions, making them easy targets for manipulation by cartels. The Audit Committee Chair, Blessing Duma, admitted that he was completely unprepared and had no understanding of the financial mess under his oversight.

The Finance Committee Chair, Costa Mande, was similarly exposed—unable to explain millions lost in unaccounted payments.

The incompetence is so severe that some councillors don’t even understand their own policies. Councillor Blessing Muroiwa, Chair of the Education, Health, Housing, and Community Services Committee, admitted that the city’s housing waiting list has been in disarray since 2022, allowing land barons to thrive.

The Commission of Inquiry has done its part. The evidence is clear. The scale of looting is undeniable. The criminals have been named.

Now, President Mnangagwa must act.

If the government fails to arrest and prosecute those responsible, then this inquiry will have been a meaningless exercise.

The residents of Harare have waited long enough.

No more political games. No more delays. The city is on the brink—and the world is watching.

Will President Mnangagwa act—or will Harare fall?