HARARE City Council top official Mathew Marara is alleged to have forged documents to give himself a lucrative position without the approval of the Local Government ministry, it has emerged.
Marara, who is a human capital director, is said to have structured new grades at Harare City Council awarding himself a lucrative position as the executive assistant to the town clerk.
Marara was earmarked to replace the arrested town clerk Hosiah Chisango, but was thrown under the bus by Harare City Council councillors who blocked the move.
HCC director of water, Engineer Phakamile Mabhena Moyo has been appointed the acting town clerk.
“One wonders why he appointed himself without going through a process of interviews and approval of the Ministry of Local Government giving himself a lucrative position,” a council insider said.
“He structured new grades giving himself a position that never went under the approval of the Ministry of Local Government.
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“Another scandal is that the head of public safety is now reporting to Marara instead of the chamber secretary Warren Chiwawa.”
Harare mayor Jacob Mafume yesterday confirmed the anomaly saying it was a human resource management matter.
“We have since directed the acting town clerk Phakamile Mabhena Moyo to write to the Ministry of Local Government for direction on that matter, that is my comment,” he said.
Marara was not answering his mobile phone despite repeated efforts.
Marara was last week at the centre of controversy during the commission of inquiry hearing as Justice Maphios Cheda questioned the US$329 000 compensation paid to the former council human capital resource manager.
Marara received US$329 000 as compensation for the period he was on suspension over corruption charges.
Marara was the city’s housing director when he was suspended in 2020 over allegations of corruption involving residential stands.
The senior official was suspended alongside other top HCC officials, among them Edgar Dzehonye and Tonderai Mukora from the survey section.
Appearing before the commission last week, council human resources chairperson George Mujajati was at pains to respond to inquiries from commissioners over the payout.
He, however, placed the blame on the city fathers and management.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed the commission of inquiry to investigate council operations in May this year.
The commission has exposed massive scandals of looting by council management involving millions of dollars at the expense of service delivery.