Curated by AllZimNews. com
KUDAKWASHE CHIBVURI AND ROBIN PHIRI
A firestorm is brewing at Town House after President Emmerson Mnangagwa received a damningreportexposing systemic rot, entrenched corruption, and institutional collapse at Harare City Council.
The long-awaited document, the product of months of forensic investigations by a Commission of Inquiry led by retired High Court judgeJustice Maphios Cheda, lays bare the scale of misgovernance engulfing Zimbabwe’s capital.
According to insiders, the report recommendsharsh punitive actionagainst those implicated, shaking the corridors of power within City Hall and beyond.
Sources close to the inquiry toldBusiness Timesthat the report uncoverswidespread abuse of public resources, including manipulation of council-owned firms, diversion of funds, and deliberate sabotage of governance frameworks that have rendered Harare virtually ungovernable.
Among the damning findings aresuspicious transactions involving council-linked companies, with several senior officials and councillors—some still serving—identified in the report.
Prominent among the culprits are members of theCitizens Coalition for Change (CCC), who, according to multiple sources, demanded land in upscale Harare suburbs—a move seen as prioritizing personal gain over public service.
The Cheda Commission paints a grim portrait of a councilcaptured by powerful syndicates, operating unchecked due to the absence of a functionalEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP)system.
Without basic financial infrastructure, insiders say the City of Harare became a playground for cartels that exploited the loopholes for personal enrichment. “City entities have become cash cows,” said a source familiar with the report, adding that councillors—many serving in an acting capacity—were “easily manipulated” by politically connected business networks.
A previousBusiness Timesinvestigation had already flagged concerns overHarare Quarry, where two companies operating under its banner were allegedly siphoning millions intoghost accounts, depriving the city of critical revenue.
Meanwhile, once-thriving city enterprises such asRufaro Marketinghave been reduced to hollow shells due topolitical interference, looting, and broken billing systems.
City Parkingwas also identified as a major source of leakage, with revenue lost tointernal fraud and manipulation.
In one of the report’s most alarming findings, the Commission uncovered abotched US$57 million ERP procurement process, pursued without clearance from theProcurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ)or Treasury.
The irregularities surrounding this deal exemplify what Justice Cheda labelled “deliberate sabotage” of good governance.
More chilling still were testimonies from the public hearings, where the Commission heard of atoxic culture of intimidation and retaliation.
Whistleblowers, residents, and even council workers who tried to speak out were allegedly targeted by internal power cliques determined to preserve their fiefdoms.
Speaking after submitting the report, Justice Cheda emphasized that the ball is now firmly in the President’s court. “The report belongs to His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, and he has it with him.
I no longer have the report.
If your memory serves you well, the President promised to be a listening President on inauguration,” he said.
He added that the Commission had fulfilled its mandate by creating a platform for Harare residents to express their grievances. 🔗 Read Full Article
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