He said they would submit their findings to the Local Government ministry for action. “We are creating a special department to deal with legacy issues that have to do with misgovernance and corruption by the previous council and management,” Mafume said. “We also have previous directives from the Local Government ministry, which are part of the legacy issues. “The special legacy department team will come up with resolutions which will be handed over to our parent ministry, the Local Government ministry, which will come up with the final say. ” The initiative is being led by acting town clerk Engineer Mabhena Moyo and finance director Godfrey Kusangaya.
The Auditor-General’s report exposed millions of dollars in unaccounted for expenditure, unapproved salary increments, stalled infrastructural projects and the presence of ghost workers on the payroll.
It also pointed to lack of procurement discipline and poor internal controls, contributing to service delivery collapse in the capital.
Key interventions implemented so far include a biometric verification exercise that has eliminated hundreds of ghost workers, saving the council millions in wage expenses each month.
In addition, dormant accounts with misallocated funds have been audited.
Several contracts deemed financially harmful to council coffers are being renegotiated or cancelled. “This council was on a sinking ship.
It is not out of the storm yet, but trying to fix the breaches,” an insider said.
Internal audits are now being conducted regularly and for the first time in years, bank reconciliations have been brought up to date.
Service hotlines have been reactivated and residents are reporting incremental improvements in water supply and billing systems.
However, the reforms have not gone unchallenged.
Internal resistance and attempts to derail the process have emerged, including anonymous leaks and efforts to discredit senior officials, sources said.
Residents’ associations have cautiously welcomed the developments but remain sceptical. “We are seeing movement, but after years of neglect, we need consistent delivery,” Tawanda Zimunya, a resident, said.
The City of Harare has faced years of public criticism over poor service delivery, infrastructure decay and allegations of corruption. 🔗 Read Full Article
All Zim News is a central hub for all things Zimbabwean, curating news from across the country so no story is missed.
Alongside aggregation, our team of nationwide reporters provides real-time, on-the-ground coverage.
Stay informed and connected — reach us at admin@allzimnews. com.
