CHRA Says Acting Harare Mayor, PDC Are Offside - Full Statement

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) is shocked by Harare City Council Acting Mayor’s decision to reinstate senior Council employees who had been arrested on allegations of corruption.

The circus that is being perpetuated at Town House is a mockery to principles of good governance and accountability.

The Acting Harare Mayor Councilor Mukunguma wrote a letter on the 17th of December to call upon the suspended Town Clerk, Hosiah Chisango stating that, ‘due to exigency of work and the demands of the office of the Town clerk you are hereby notified to proceed with your work in your capacity as the Town Clerk’.

The reasons proffered by the Acting Mayor are not justifiable and this is a sad demonstration of lack of seriousness in terms of dealing with corruption.

It does not make sense to reinstate an employee who has not been proven innocent in the court of law.

In addition, the reinstatement is likely to lead to interference with investigations on the alleged matters.

The Acting Mayor Mukunguma is offside and needs to be reigned in. The office of the Mayor of Harare is ceremonial and the decision to reinstate the Town Clerk, Hosiah Chisango can only be done through a council resolution.

CHRA is also concerned with the interference of the Harare Provincial Development Coordinator, Mr Muguti, who has jumped in to give a directive to Council on this matter.
Our concern arises from the fact that Chapter 14 of the Zimbabwean Constitution is clear on the structural composition of provincial councils and the PDC is not part of that structural composition.

We reiterate that the PDC should not assume a judicial position as the member of the executive arm of the state.

This is against the doctrine of separation of power and the oversight role of the local authorities according to the law which comes from the Minister of Local Government.

As CHRA we are aware that the current chaos at Town House is caused by factional politics from MDC.

These are machinations aimed at imposing a commission on the residents of Harare, which will cripple representative democracy.

CHRA implores the implementation of devolution in the Constitution of Zimbabwe with a clear structural composition which has the authority to make decisions for Local Authorities when such chaos resurge.