Harare Mayor suspends Town Clerk

Philemon Jambaya

Zim Now Editor

Mayor Jacob Mafume has taken a decisive action against the city's Town Clerk, Hosiah Chisango. Chisango has been suspended with immediate effect following a series of allegations, including serious misconduct, irregularities in a streetlight tender, and mismanagement of the city's Enterprise Resource Planning system.

In a suspension letter dated September 30, Mayor Mafume outlined several breaches of the Urban Council's Act committed by Chisango and his associates. Among the allegations is the awarding of a streetlight tender to Jukula Enterprises, a company that was blacklisted. Despite this, Chisango allegedly proceeded with the tender under questionable circumstances, potentially exposing the city to financial losses.

The suspension also comes at a time when Chisango's management of the city's ERP system is under scrutiny. Harare has been operating without an effective ERP system for five years, leading to significant delays in financial audits and budget approvals. Mayor Mafume accused Chisango of failing to secure an effective ERP software and system support, resulting in adverse reports from the Auditor General.

Furthermore, the letter revealed that Chisango and his deputy, Matthew Marara, are allegedly serving as "town clerks" of Harare without proper contracts. This unusual arrangement has raised concerns about the city's governance and accountability.