Jailed town clerk Chisango reveals that HCC wasted US$11 million on workshops by councillors

Harare – The Harare City Council has wasted at least US$ 11 million this year paying for weekly workshops attended by councillors from January to July this year at a time when the city council is failing to provide basic services such as water and fixing pot-holed roads, a commission that is inquiring into the running of the city heard on Tuesday.

The workshops by city council councillors who are mainly from the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) have been held in resort towns and cities such as Victoria Falls, Kariba, Kadoma and Mutare.

The commission of inquiry that was appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Mya is headed by retired Justice Maphios Cheda.

Justice Cheda and his five member commission heard that US$11 million was splashed on hotel accommodation and allowances.

“The citizens of Harare have no protection of councillors as matters stand,” Thabani Mpofu, the evidence leader of the commission of inquiry said to HCC Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango who is appearing before the commission.

“There is abuse,” Chisango answered.

Chisango said the excessive looting of council resources by councillors requires that council operations be regulated from outside the council.

Chisango said councillors have been interfering with the day to day management of the city which is outside their mandate.

“They (councillors) have been interfering with tender processes,” Chisango said.

Chisango said council has failed to procure an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system since 2019 leaving council books in disarray.

The council, Chisango said, is using a temporal Sage system since 2019.

Chisango who is in remand prison is facing criminal abuse of office charges over a tender the city gave for the supply of street lights.

Chisango is appearing at the commission of inquiry under guard from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS).