LOCAL Government minister Daniel Garwe has been sucked into Harare City Council (HCC)’s power struggles, with reports that he has allegedly stopped the transfer of a senior official NewsDay has learnt.
Fani Machipisa, who is the allocations manager in the housing department, was promoted to the school of excellence with five other workers.
There was drama recently at his office after the latter refused to vacate his office and has remained defiant.
“By frequently invoking the name of Minister Garwe, he claims his position is secure due to his close ties with the top government officials,” a source said.
Machipisa is refusing to leave office over alleged pending land deals through regularisation.
“Because of his underhand land deals, he is refusing to leave office. He sold a piece of land in Hatfield with no council resolutions, with prices of stands starting from US$150 000 and as well as (another piece of land in) Greystone Park,” the source added.
“How can a person refuse to be promoted? This should be questioned even by the minister himself.”
Garwe is reportedly a beneficiary of High Serve House Scheme in Mabvuku under plan number TPY-ER-01-13.
“We believe Minister Garwe might be protecting Machipisa because he is also a beneficiary of High Serve Housing Scheme in Mabvuku,” the source, a top Harare council official, added.
The High Serve Housing Scheme is worth almost US$8 million and there are 800 stands.
Machipisa reportedly wrote to Garwe protesting his transfer.
Garwe then summoned acting town clerk Addmore Nhekairo, who is Harare director for housing and community services, over the matter.
“Issue to do with council resolution, it’s not my territory the mayor is responsible for that, so I cannot really comment on the matter, but yes, I met Minister Daniel Garwe, but this has nothing to do [with] you,” he said.
A docket has been opened against Machipisa over the issuance of fake certificates of allocation for houses.
The case was reported at CID Morris Depot under case number CRB 5338/40.
Most stands that are awaiting regularisation are located on open spaces, with corruption being alleged to be rampant.
“They will be claiming that there are occupants, yet there are no occupants, such as Mabvuku areas,” the source said.
More than 81 000 stands are awaiting regularisation in council’s plans and Machipisa stands accused of being pivotal in land invasions working in cahoots with different barons.
He stands accused of having failed the housing department after vast tracts of council land was taken over by barons working as cartels since 2015 when he was the district administration manager.
“There have been issues of land invasion in the capital under Machipisa,” another source said.
Mayor Jacob Mafume yesterday said he was not in a position to comment.
“I don’t want to comment over such matters,” he said.
Machipisa said there were people who were trying to remove him from his position.
“They want to remove me so that they engage in land deals, so they want to kick me up. They want to take me as if I don’t know anything. I am an educated man,” Machipisa said.
“It is just politics at Harare City Council. There is massive fighting. They are treating me as if I am a fool.”
The infighting at HCC comes at a time when President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed a commission of inquiry to investigate the operations of the capital’s local authority since 2017.
Garwe refused to comment on the matter.
“I don’t want to comment. By the way, I’m not feeling well,” he said curtly.