MOREBLESSING MARANGE
Residents have blamed officials and city fathers at town house for corruption that has seen them failing to account for millions of dollars as political wars take centre stage at the expense of service delivery.
Harare has failed to account for over US$72m advanced by a Chinese bank for the refurbishment of Morton Jaffray Water Works and address the perennial water challenges saying this was a tip of the iceberg on graft in the metropolis.
The residents also argued that the environment has become toxic amid fights, mudslinging and tussle for positions at the expense of service delivery.
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) programmes manager, Reuben Akili, said too much politics at Town House was hampering all prospects of addressing critical service delivery issues in the city.
“There is politics between the technocrats themselves in the battle for control to become directors and town clerks,” Akili said. “Some are on the side of A and some are on the side of B, so for us to say there is no politics at town house we will be lying to ourselves.”
Currently, the city is operating with only one substantive director in Dr Prosper Chonzi who is the Health Services director with over eight directors out on suspension.
Among those facing corruption allegations before the courts is Town Clerk Hosea Chisango.
Harare Residents Trust director Precious Shumba said council has become a political battleground and that was worrying.
“It is a political battlefield,” Shumba said, adding that officials were now presenting weak cases before the courts leading to the acquitting of people who would have committed crimes involving millions of dollars.
“What has happened is that when the courts are asked to intervene, because ultimately that is what they are supposed to do, they resolve conflicts and set issues. When the evidence is being put together, some of the officials ensure that the evidence submitted to the court is very weak, which is why you find a lot of acquittals of the officials. So at the end of the day, it’s not like there is no evidence, but what happens is that there are trade-offs,” Shumba added.
Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume blamed political interference by the governing party for most of the local authority’s failures.
“There is a lot of politics and mudslinging and a lot of muckraking for personal gain rather than serving the residents. So I do believe that we need to take a different approach to dealing with the issue of corruption. We need to be able to investigate and get the evidence not to arrest and look for the evidence.”
Akili said it was worrying that despite pouring millions including the US$72m from China and the US$9m from the government, there is no significant improvement in the water situation in the capital.
“We found a bunch of Range Rovers at the town house instead even though the loan had to be used for other issues of water supply affecting the residents. We were made to believe that these cars were coming from Chinese money,” Akili said.
Shumba said the Chinese loan has presented challenges for the city with residents not seeing anything tangible in the provision of potable water.
“Every two weeks they announce the shutdown of Motor Jaffray Water Works, which means the work we have done using the US$72m has not really translated into increased water supply or enhanced transparency,” Shumba said.
But Mafume exonerated the council saying: “The numbers are so confusing, but when you get a Chinese loan of that kind, we do not touch it. They do not give cash but everything comes in containers. They come to fix and supply and if you are familiar with how they operate, there is no amount that comes to the city council.”
“We never received this money, and this money came way back before I even dreamt of becoming mayor.”
On the US$9m said to have been availed to council by the government, Mafume said: “We do not receive money from the government. The government is busy spending the devolution funds that we are supposed to get. We get zero from the government, even if they say they are assisting the council; we do not get the money.”
