STAKEHOLDERS have commended President Mnangagwa for establishing a Commission of Inquiry tasked with investigating the accounting systems and financial affairs of the Harare City Council spanning the last seven years. They assert that this move holds the potential to inject much-needed order into the beleaguered local authority.
According to the State media, The Herald, Local Government and Wetlands Management expert Mr. Selestino Chari lauded the establishment of the Commission, expressing optimism about its ability to tackle the myriad challenges confronting the capital city.
He pointed out the lack of a land bank, an enterprise resource planning system, clear land management policies, and procedures, as well as the absence of a coherent wetlands management policy within the council.
“This should be handled objectively. We hope that stakeholders will be engaged while all findings and recommendations will be made available for a better city in the future,” Chari remarked.
Echoing similar sentiments, Harare Residents Trust director Mr. Precious Shumba underscored the timeliness of the Commission’s appointment amidst a backdrop of nearly collapsed service delivery. He highlighted issues such as inadequate refuse collection, inaccurate billing, water supply challenges, and rampant corruption in procurement processes.
“Water supplies are hovering around 40 percent with 60 percent of households relying on private and community boreholes, shallow and unprotected wells with those with the means buying from private water traders. Corruption has taken root in procurement of goods and services,” Shumba elaborated.
Mr. Shumba also lamented the holding of unproductive workshops outside of Harare, emphasizing the absence of a functional billing system for the capital city.
Former councillor Stewart Mutizwa welcomed the Commission without bias, asserting its necessity in restoring financial probity and accountability within councils.
Chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trusts, Mr. Shalva Chikomba, expressed confidence in the Commission’s ability to address Harare’s challenges, foreseeing a much-needed cleanup of the city’s affairs.
