Fights, chaos paralyse Harare
INFIGHTING at Town House has grounded operations within the City of Harare with suspended town clerk Hosea Chisango pleading with Local Government minister July Moyo to intervene and allow him back at work.
The infighting has led to the arrest of several council officials, including Chisango, who now alleges his woes were a creation of his subordinates working with elected officials.
Human resources director Matthew Marara, housing director Admore Nhekairo and several others have been arrested for alleged corruption amid accusations and counter-accusations from different camps.
Chisango conceded that the chaos had grounded council operations, hence the need for Moyo to intervene.
In a letter dated October 29, 2020 addressed to Moyo, Chisango’s lawyers Mtombeni, Mukwesha and Muzawazi Legal Practitioners claimed that the town clerk was a victim of machinations by some elected officials working with his subordinates.
“We humbly plead for your intervention to stop this paralysis within council,” the letter read in part.
“Our client’s arrest and subsequent suspension from work was not done according to law, but was sponsored by subordinates one of whom he was disciplining for incompetence. This was all done with a view to destroy evidence as our client, as the chief executive officer of council, is the main witness and complainant,” the letter added.
Chisango said the Urban Councils Act clearly outlined conditions of service of a town clerk and how disciplinary action could be taken against him, but in his case, council never considered any report nor did it report to the police.
Chisango was arrested on September 10 for alleged corruption involving illegal parcelling out of land in Kuwadzana. He is out on bail.
“Our client’s bail conditions restricted him from reporting for work until October 5, 2020 and this was not breached. He was released from that condition by the lapsing of the period and the council cannot impose further restrictions without cause as is now happening,” the lawyers said.
“On the day his bail restrictions lapsed, the mayor (Jacob Mafume) advised him that Collin Tongoona, the chief security officer submitted a report to him with recommendations that he be hauled before a disciplinary tribunal. This was unprocedural as there was no audit report neither was he given an opportunity to respond to the allegations. What is also malicious is that he only saw the report circulating on social media.”
The lawyers said the council should have appointed a special committee in terms of the law to investigate any misconduct if such was assumed to have taken place.
“These processes were not done, but the council want to rely on a report from municipal police and (Engineer) Isaiah Chawatama whom he was disciplining for various acts of misconduct,” the lawyers added in the letter to Moyo.
Chisango claimed he commissioned the city’s internal audit to investigate Chawatama for various acts of misconduct which include alleged abuse of fuel, general lethargy in execution of projects and his propensity to post malicious materials on social media platforms.
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