GOVERNMENT has cracked the whip on Harare City Council (HCC), barring the local authority from holding workshops outside the capital, arguing that this was gobbling thousands of dollars in ratepayers’ money.
Addressing a full council meeting at Town House yesterday, mayor Jacob Mafume said they received a circular from Local Government and Public Works minister Daniel Garwe over the matter.
He said Garwe raised concern over workshops being held outside Harare.
“The government is saying such workshops should be done with the approval of the government. I have asked my staff to comply.
“We are here to protect residents’ affairs in good faith. So we have to comply with the government directive, which is our parent ministry,” he said.
Residents associations in the capital have been complaining over out-of-town workshops.
Mafume also announced the arrest of town clerk Hosiah Chisango by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) on fraud charges.
Chisango appeared in court yesterday.
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“The name of the company which had won the tender sounds more like a music outfit than a company that supplies electricity,” Mafume said.
“Our town clerk has been arrested over the matter, but I do not want to comment further because this is before the courts.”
He also announced that Phakamile Mabhena Moyo will be the acting town clerk.
At the same meeting, Mafume also announced the bombing of Chisango’s house recently.
He expressed worry over the security of top officials at Town House.
“We have approached our human resources department on the security of our top officials. I think I am being protected by God, but anyway, this is the way it is,” the mayor said.
Meanwhile, Chisango, who was arrested on Wednesday this week, yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates Courts facing a charge of abuse of office.
Chisango (54) allegedly awarded Harare businessman Moses Mpofu’s company a tender without following procedure.
He appeared before regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa jointly charged with Artwell Mandaza (42).
Mandaza is council’s principal contracts administrator.
The duo is being represented by Munyaradzi Bwanya and George Manokore.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti told the court that sometime in January this year, council launched the city’s streetlights rehabilitation programme in preparation for the 44th Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Summit next month.
He told the court that on March 15 this year, council published a tender and 11 companies responded, including Mpofu’s Juluka Endo Joint Venture.
Mutsokoti said on March 28, Never Murerwa, the supply chain manager, appointed a tender opening committee and the evaluation committee awarded four companies the tender to rehabilitate eight of the 10 lots.
Due to lot limitation, no company was awarded more than two lots, while two others were not awarded to any company.
Mutsokoti alleged that Juluka Endo was disqualified after failing to meet the tender requirements.
He, however, alleged that Chisango awarded the tender of the remaining lots to Juluka Endo disregarding general procurement provisions.
The prosecutor told the court that Chisango and Mandaza awarded the tender to Juluka Endo, despite that it had previously failed to deliver a biogas digester after getting a contract in 2019.
Chisango allegedly acted contrary to the standard bidding document condition, which stipulates that bidders who have bad reputation in executing council projects are ineligible.
The court heard that the evaluation committee connived with Mandaza to draft a contract between the council and Juluka Endo.
The committee, allegedly set up by Chisango and Mandaza violated the procurement procedure and did not seek for exemption from the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe.
Chisango allegedly wrote to the Local Government and Public Works ministry seeking an advance payment for the contract value at US$9 244 328, but the payment was not processed.
Investigating officer Owen Mutembwa opposed bail, indicating that Chisango and Mandaza may interfere with witnesses.
He said seven witnesses were ready to testify before the courts.
Mutembwa said Mandaza once participated in alleged illegal dealings and could tamper with documents which would jeopardise ongoing investigations.
He also accused Mandaza of trying to conceal documents from the procurement management unit after he heard about the investigations.
The investigating officer said Chisango and Mandaza worked within a web and could manipulate the system which had State witnesses and exhibits.
He said the duo could also reproduce documents to alter content which would be different from the originals, adding that Mandaza had failed to handover Juluka Endo’s original contract.
Gofa deferred bail application hearing to today.
