Marara breaks silence ,reveals sinister plot to divide senior councillors within HCC

HARARE City Council (HCC) Executive Assistant Mathew Marara who has been facing numerous attacks has came out guns blazing alleging that there are senior officials within the council working tirelessly to soil his image and creating a rift between himself, Mayor Jacob Mafume and the Town Clerk.

He said several allegations have been made against him aimed at soiling his reputation yet everything is backed by council resolutions.

Marara has been subjected to attacks among them claims that he elevated himself to a non-existent position of executive secretary and receiving a US$300 000 executive car from council coffers.

It has also been alleged that Marara is receiving two salaries by occupying two offices as the Executive Assistant to the town clerk and Human Capital Director.

The retired soldier says he has not committed any sin to warrant the attacks and has written to his employer, the acting town clerk Phakamile Mabhena Moyo seeking protection from what he termed ‘lies’.

In the letter, Marara’s lawyers, Lunga and Mazikana Attorneys said their client operates within the confines of the law and all he is alleged to have done is above board and supported by full council resolutions.

Some sections of the media alleged the suspended Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango unilaterally appointed him to the position of Executive Assistant which the lawyers rubbished saying all the issues relating to appointment, reinstatement, upgrading and compensation are backed by council resolutions.

The lawyers said the sustained media attacks and with no response from the council, his employers, puts his reputation into question which warrants a response.

They said Marara has remained mum in respect of his employment contract but the continued silence from the city appears as a plot to force him out.

“Our client is mostly worried that some of the executive and senior council employees have supported these allegations through interviews with media and his employer has not made any attempt to protect and defend him against these false allegations.

“Our client has been offered several opportunities by the media houses to present his side of story but he is constrained due to the fact that he signed a confidentiality policy which bars him from disclosing his employment issues to the public.

“Our client is inclined to believe that there may be some plot against him by some senior officials to exert pressure on him so that he resigns from his position which he takes as constructive dismissal,” the letter reads.

Marara, according to the lawyers, says it is high time that he speaks out and set the record straight on a number of issues through the Town Clerk’s office with the hope that his employers will protect him and save his image.

Marara rubbished claims that he resigned from his city employment but was put on suspension after his arrest in 2020 on a number of allegations much if which have fallen in the courts.

He said his presence at the town house is above board and authorized by the office of the town clerk.

“On 12 June 2023 he (Marara) wrote a letter to your office requesting to resume duty and payment of his salaries and benefits. On the 15th of June 2023 your office wrote a letter advising our client to resume duty as the Executive Assistant and he resumed his duties on the 19th June 2023.
“Following his resumption of duty as Executive Assistant your office further advised him to resume his duty as the Acting Human Capital Director on the 5th July 2023 through your office,” the letter reads.

1. The lawyers rubbished claims that Marara made the resignation letter disappear, a claim which they described as malicious.

They also stated that the issue of perks and compensation was negotiated through the office of the mayor and there are documents to support this position.

“Further to that, His Worship J. Mafume appointed a Negotiating Committee whose mandate was to handle negotiations with our client in respect of outstanding issues which included his ceased salaries and benefits.”

“It has further falsely alleged that our client has made his resignation letter disappear from the system. This allegation is not only false but also malicious. The employer ought to know the following processes that should be undertaken pursuant to an employee’s resignation,” the letter says.

On the issue of the expensive vehicle, Marara said there is no such vehicle and raised concerns that some people may be getting perks using his name.

“The employer has never
bought our client a Toyota 300 series
motor vehicle or any vehicle as
published in the media or in any way. For
the record, our client uses his personal
vehicles both for work and personal
business. Our client is worried that
there may be a motor vehicle purchased
with the employer’s funds in his name
and delivered elsewhere. This is an
issue which needs to be thoroughly
investigated urgently,” the lawyers said.

“Our client advises that he has since
relinquished the position of the Acting
Human Capital Director following a prior
arrangement with the employer and
Mr B. Matengarufu now occupies the
position. We believe that the complaints
that have been circulating that our client
is occupying two offices have been
addressed,” the lawyers added.

The lawyers said the attacks have been systematic ranging from three criminal allegations which have been thrown away by the courts and have now been upgraded to taint his reputation.

“Our client believes that the allegations
are being peddled by someone who has
an ulterior motive to tarnish the image of
His Worship, J. Mafume, the Town Clerk
and the Council at large who have been
involved from the onset in the issues
pertaining to our client.

“Oclient formally lodges his grievance through your good office and requests that the employer immediately addresses all issues raised above and sets the record straight to the public and all affected stakeholders.

“Failure to do this our client will take
it that the employer is complicit and
set to frustrate our client to force him
into resigning from his position which
conduct constitutes constructive
dismissal,” the letter says.