City Parking boss Muzviyo ‘sinks’ US$4 million in non-viable foreign investments

Story by founding editor Nigel Tawanda Pfunde

Harare-CONTROVERSIAL managing director for City Parking Simon Muzviyo is under fire for allegedly misusing funds to finance personal projects and embarking on non-viable foreign investments that cost council at least a staggering US$4 million ,Express Mail Zim can reveal.

The firm is mandated to manage parking bays in Harare’s central business district (CBD),

Muzviyo is on record that his firm is a private company that is not subject to public scrutiny under the Public Finance Management Act.

At his own admission when he appeared before the Justice Cheda led Commision of Inquiry investigating operations of the Harare City Council since 2017, Muzviyo narrated how he signed a joint venture agreement with a Ghana based company in 2015.

Under oath, he said they had 45 percent shareholding and expected to reap US$1 million after investing in purchase of equipment but the deal collapsed prejudicing council.

He stayed in Accra for a month on City Parking expense and he said he “forgot” the daily allowance he was getting in respect of accommodation, meals and incidentals, when evidence leader Thabani Mpofu asked him.

The other foreign investments he sanctioned without following due diligence were in South Africa and Zambia and the cumulative amount of ‘losses’ hovered around US$4million.

This was never questioned by the HCC’s Business Development Unit with inside sources alleging that his second wife Tsitsi Samapundo shielded him in her capacity as the manageress of that unit that oversees entities like City Parking,Rufaro Marketing among other business development units.

“His (Muzviyo}’s second wife is the manager at BDU that oversees Harare Quarry, Rufaro Marketing and City Parking among other units and she clouded all those anomalies among others like lack of proper parking accounts, no contract in black and white, manipulation of ZWL and USD accounts and so on ,” said our source who is an ex-employee in the BDU department.

However,analysts said the relationship between Muzviyo and Samapindu depends on the policies and procedures of the institution and the HCC human resources Major Matthew Marara could not be reached for comment at the time of writing.

The alleged actions of Samapundo of showing favour to Muzviyo and wantonly ignoring to query gross maladmistration makes her complicit.

She did not pick her phone when reached for comment but however made spirited futile attempts to gag the media through sending proxies with threats and screenshots.

Muzviyo was also unreachable and our sources said he was spoiling himself and enjoying fruits of his exploits,holidaying in the United Kingdom.

The operations at City Parking gives credence to allegations of institutionalised corruption at Harare City Council which missed the Utopian and  ambitious target of World Class city by 2025.