‘Mafume at heart of chaos at council’

Tafara Chibanda

HARARE City Council’s Assistant To Town Clerk, Matthew Marara, says the Council is in chaos and has accused Mayor Jacob Mafume of trying to usurp the powers of suspended Town Clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango.

Marara was testifying before the Commission of Inquiry into the affairs of the Harare City Council. He said there were deep-seated conflicts between Councillors and senior management.

He claimed there were some fiery boardroom battles between Mayor Mafume and the Town Clerk and this was paralysing their operations.

He claimed the Mayor wants to take over the powers of the Town Clerk under the pretext of being in charge.

He said these power struggles, mismanagement and interference were hindering the City’s operations.

“You find the Mayor himself calling workers, low-level workers to his office, giving them directives, when it’s not supposed to be like that.

“When you try to resist what the Mayor wants, they try by all means to make sure that they kick you out.

“The truth must be known by the world that this council, seat of Harare, is not running things correctly,” he said.

He added:

“This Council is in chaos, the current Council that we have is usurping executive powers.

“Council should be operating like a board but our Councillors are always at work with us as if they are employees of the Council.”

Marara claimed the Council’s dysfunction stems from interference and a lack of capacity among elected officials.

He said Councillors choose which directives to follow and which ones not to follow and they put politics in certain issues which are administrative, and which should not have politics at all.

“Councillors want to delve into what they are not supposed to be doing, this has led to persistent clashes between the two, with council workers caught in the crossfire.”