SOME top City of Harare officials have sought audience with Local Government minister, Daniel Garwe, seeking favours after the release of a Commission of Inquiry report into the operations of the municipality.
According to insiders, some officials are even resorting to spying on their colleagues and reporting back to Garwe asking for favours and trying to undermine their rivals.
“We have seen some senior officials from Harare City Council coming to the ministry of Local Government to see Minister Garwe seeking his audience and backbiting each other,” a source in the ministry said.
“They will spy on other officials and come with the information to minister Garwe asking for favours.
“It’s no longer safe at the Harare City Council where officials also fear being poisoned.”
Council spokesperson, Stanley Gama, said he was not aware of the allegations.
“I have never heard about this,” he said.
“I will try to reach out to our mayor Jacob Mafume.”
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Mafume said he was in Victoria Falls when contacted for comment.
“I am in Victoria Falls, l will verify if I am in office,” he said.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed a five-member team led by retired High Court Judge, Justice Maphios Cheda, to investigate the operations of the municipality.
During hearings, the commission uncovered extensive corruption and mismanagement, with senior officials and some councillors cited as the chief culprits.
Among the findings was that the town clerk was earning US$27 000 monthly, which could rise to US$30 000 with perks, while the lowest-paid executive was earning US$15 000 monthly against poor service delivery.
City directors, who allegedly had “no payslips,” spent US$124 000 on luxury foreign trips, in addition to US$1 million on top-of-the-range vehicles during the election period.
It emerged that the huge perks were not approved by the Local Government Board.
Cheda said the report detailed serious concerns regarding the conduct of certain senior officials at the municipality.
