Reports of bribery as COH Acting Finance Director’s contract is renewed – Eduzim News

By Edgar Gweshe| Reports of bribery have surfaced at Harare City Council following revelations that councillors from the Human Resources and General Purposes Committee received bribes to renew the contract for the acting Finance Director Godfrey Kusangaya for another year.

The extension of the contract is despite the fact that council had previously advertised the position as vacant implying that Kusangaya, who is past his retirement age, was set to leave office.

Sources at Town House claim that a land baron identified as Mbwende was behind the bribery scam with councillors from the Human Resources and General Purposes Committee reportedly receiving US$2 000 each. This was before the online meeting which was held to consider the issue of renewing Kusangaya’s contract.

The meeting was eventually held yesterday and there was consensus among the councillors present to renew Kusangaya’s contract.

However, other councillors from the committee reportedly snubbed the meeting as they were against Kusangaya’s continued stay in office.

Commenting on the motive behind extending Kusangaya’s contract, the Harare Residents Trust Director, Precious Shumba said the whole idea is to facilitate the continued siphoning of money from council through Kusangaya who in the past has been accused of covering the tracks of corrupt individuals at council.

“On why there is desperation to have the contract extended, it has been revealed that Kusangaya has been at the heart of quick release of funds for tenderpreneurs who offer services to the City of Harare and key councillors and officials have been receiving kickbacks from the tenderpreneurs. The removal of Kusangaya threatens the cartel’s systematic looting of council funds which a new person will not be able to execute.

“The City of Harare has been without a substantive Finance Director for more than five years. When Livingston Churu, now with Gweru City Council, became Acting Finance Director, he plugged several loopholes. This angered the cartels who connived to remove him and brought in Kusangaya from the Harare Water.

“The absence of a finance director is deliberate on the part of the City of Harare. In fact, it has been suggested, but not verified, that whenever recruitment process begins, some among the council directors and councillors, lobby the Local Government Board to either delay finalising the recruitment process or reject the candidate selected by the council. This way, the preferred Acting Director is kept acting while the looting continue,” said Shumba.

The Chairperson of the Human Resources and General Purposes Committee, Councilor George Mujajati fumed when asked about the allegations and threatened this reporter with court action in the event that the story is published.

“This is a malicious unsubstantiated lie from the bottom of hell and if you in any way publish such, you would have to prove the malicious lies in a court of law. I have never accepted a bribe from any one in my life. When I was sworn in as councilor I remember swearing that I would not disclose any matters to anyone one out side council particularly to such so called journalists who are paid to peddle malicious unsubstantiated lies in order tarnish innocent law abiding citizens,” he said.

In September, Mujajati admitted that councillors are working with management to siphon funds from the local authority when he appeared before the Commission of Inquiry into the Governance of Harare City Council.

Residents associations are mooting a meeting with authorities to seek redress on the reappointment of Kusangaya.

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