Staff Reporter
The Harare City Council is under intense scrutiny as political analysts express concerns over the alleged mismanagement of funds.
This was after the council recently complained about receiving only 3 percent of the expected $64 million from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) for road maintenance.
Despite the grievances, analysts argue that the council has failed to account for the $2 million they received from ZINARA, further exacerbating the issues surrounding the allocation of funds.
In an exclusive interview with this publication, analyst Calvin Chitsunge emphasized the need for transparency, pointing out that citizens, through toll fees and taxes, contribute to these funds, which should be used for public services.
"As much as Harare City Council complains about inadequate funds, there is a glaring lack of accountability for the $2 million they are saying they received. Heads must roll for the unexplained disbursement of funds received from ZINARA," Chitsunge remarked.
The analyst went further to highlight the dire state of roads in Harare suburbs, with uncollected garbage posing a threat to citizens' health in the midst of the cholera pandemic.
"Harare City Council shows no intent to develop the City’s infrastructure as they should. Instead, they seem focused on personal gain, looting public resources," Chitsunge remarked.
In addition, Chitsunge noted that the Government intervened with "Operation Chenesa Harare" to address the garbage crisis, emphasizing that citizens are still not receiving adequate service delivery despite the $2 million allocation.
"If they claim they get $2 million every year, what have they done with it? The situation on the ground does not reflect any significant improvements," Chitsunge asserted.
Chitsunge suggested that ZINARA should formulate a committee that will specifically have oversight over all funds disbursed by that organization to Harare City Council. The idea would be to curb the abuse of public funds by the council.
In October 2023, Zimbabwean Auditor General Mrs. Rhea Kujinga raised serious concerns over corruption by local authorities, stating that major urban authorities misused public funds while others could not account for the financial resources allocated to them.
On that note, in March 2023, five Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led Harare City councillors who were members of the Finance and Development Committee faced charges of fraud and corruption, including the misuse of funds.
In an attempt to get a comment from ZINARA, the organization said that it would soon release a statement on how it has disbursed funds to local authorities.
