ZimNow News Desk

Every day, Harare City Council rakes in an estimated US $50,000 from its aggressive Operation CBD Order Restoration, a blitz targeting businesses operating without licenses or paying rates. But residents say that windfall hasn’t translated into any tangible improvements in basic services.

Across Harare, burst sewer pipes, uncollected garbage, and potholed roads remain unresolved, leaving communities questioning where the money is disappearing to.

Shirley Celebrate Mkono, a Glen View mother, paints the sad picture: “I pay for refuse collection about US $8 per month, but they don’t carry the refuse... I last saw a refuse truck in my area in October last year after the mayor visited our area.”

For ambulance services, trust has collapsed. “If the clinic had an ambulance in sight, it could not have taken this long,” Mkono says, speaking after waiting four agonizing hours post-birth. “I could have died.”

No CFO, No Accountability: A Financial Gap Since 2018

At the heart of the crisis lies a prolonged leadership vacuum. Since 2018, Harare has operated without a substantive Finance Director, relying instead on acting appointees—currently Godfrey Kusangaya, whose contract has been controversially renewed past retirement.

The Harare Residents’ Trust warns this delay has “weakened financial oversight and allowed corruption to thrive.”

A Shadowy System, Shielded by Power

Adding fuel to the fire are claims of entrenched corruption:

• Insider reports allege that Kusangaya is the sole signatory on council accounts, deciding who gets paid—even allegedly bypassing the town clerk, the council’s supposed top administrator.
• Allegations of bribes emerge: one councillor reportedly received US $2,000, allegedly offered by a land baron known as “Mbwende” to secure support for Kusangaya’s contract renewal—a decision opposed by council rules.

Money Paid, Goods Undelivered

Service departments—from water to waste—are raising alarms:

• Workers have threatened strikes over lack of protective clothing and work suits, despite the council collecting vast sums. Reports say payments were made to suppliers who never delivered the goods.

Harare’s missing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, absent since 2019, only compounds this—manual accounting systems are prone to manipulation. Mayor Jacob Mafume has acknowledged this gap, yet no replacement seems forthcoming.

Even the much-hyped Geo Pomona waste-to-energy project has not cleared the piles of refuse choking the suburbs. For many residents, the only energy it has produced so far is anger.

A Systemic Failure, Not Just a Financial One

This crisis is structural. Residents face a council that collects money—but doesn’t deliver services—and operates with near-total impunity.

The systemic breakdown is clear:

• A broken procurement process
• A centralised financial gatekeeper
• Political interference in key appointments
• No ERP or modern accounting tools
• A leadership vacuum in finance

The Solutions Are Obvious

Residents and civil society, as well as analysts and experts, have repeatedly pointed out that for Harare to see meaningful change, swift action is critical:

1. Appoint a substantive, qualified finance director, not a one-man acting regime.
2. Restore multi-level oversight: ensure the town clerk, HR Committee, and council have visibility over financial flows and contracts.
3. Deploy an ERP system to digitizecommittee, transactions, budgets, and reporting—building transparency.
4. Audit recent procurements, especially flagged payments for undelivered goods.
5. Investigate the HR Committee and Kusangaya’s renewal, including any bribery allegations and local tender cartels.

Conclusion: Money Isn’t the Problem. Accountability Is.

The problem isn't revenue—it's redistribution. Harare is flush with cash, but the streets say otherwise. Until checks and balances are restored, residents will keep paying—and keep going without the basics they’re owed.