THE Justice Maphios Cheda-led commission of inquiry into Harare’s governance affairs has been given top-of-the-range vehicles amid calls by residents associations that the probe should not be a burden to taxpayers.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa in May appointed a six-member commission to investigate the City of Harare’s management and council since 2017.
Former opposition stalwart and politician Lucia Matibenga, who was Public Service minister during the era of the government of national unity from 2009 to 2013, is a member of the commission.
Local Government and Public Works secretary John Basera is the secretary of the commission, while chief director responsible for local authoritiesKhonzani Ncube is also part of the commission.
Other members of the commission are Steven Chakaipa, the Local Government board chairperson and legal practitioner Norbert Phiri.
Sources close to the commission told NewsDay that the commissioners recently took delivery of Ford Ranger Raptor vehicles.
“Members of the commission of inquiry into Harare were awarded with Ford Ranger Raptor vehicles to carry out their mandate in the next six months when they will investigate Harare City Council.
“We believe they are just being motivated as we think that there are chances that they might be bribed because you should be aware that they will also be dealing with rich land barons,” the sources said.
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However, Combined Harare Residents Association chairperson Reuben Akili yesterday challenged the government to avail the list of the expenditure of the commission.
“We are appealing to those [government] who put the commission of inquiry to publicise the expenditure on the day they started to the day they are set to finish, they need to be open that is also another recommendation we are looking forward to.
“They can publicise the expenditure in a newspaper so that we can be transparent on the taxpayers’ money because if they do not do that they will water down their findings.
“We have already said what are the new things the commission of inquiry is going to do or the findings because this has already been exposed by the Auditor-General and Parliament what was necessary was to pursue the findings of Parliament and Auditor-General,” Akili said.
Harare Residents Trust director Precious Shumba said the commission of inquiry should not be a burden to taxpayers.
“We know everytime these commissions of inquiry are put in place there are always a burden to residents and taxpayers money, whether they are done at government or local authority level. These commissioners already have their fortunes so giving them vehicles is a waste of taxpayers’ money,” he said.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said: “Do you want them to walk or do you want them to use buses? You guys, have you checked on other commissions on what they get.”
