HARARE – Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has instructed the city’s council secretariat to fully cooperate with the commission of inquiry established by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to scrutinize the city’s operations and management.
During a full council meeting on Tuesday, according to News Day, Mafume emphasized that the city has nothing to conceal and welcomed the inquiry as an opportunity to address pressing questions.
“The inquiry will help us to answer some of the questions that we also have been asking. We are a public entity; we are an institution of record, so we have nothing to hide,” Mafume stated.
He urged the council secretariat to start preparing the necessary documents for the commission, warning of consequences for non-cooperation.
“We are happy that the President is also asking the questions that we have been asking. I hope now you understand why it is important to run the city diligently,” he added.
President Mnangagwa appointed retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda to chair the commission, which is expected to submit its findings within three months of completing the inquiry.
The commission’s mandate includes investigating the management of revenue generated through special vehicle companies and other outsourced arrangements, the reasons behind the failure to implement an Enterprise Resource Planning system, and the procedures for managing, selling, leasing, or transferring the local authority’s properties to private entities.
Additionally, the commission will look into the convening of council meetings and compliance with procurement laws, including the disposal of assets and adherence to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act [Chapter 22:23].
