Harare faces huge legal costs Clr Manyenyeni
Clr Manyenyeni

Clr Manyenyeni

Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
The blundering MDC-T- run Harare City Council is set to cost ratepayers millions of dollars in legal fees and damages as it continues to make flawed decisions on the contracts of its employees, especially senior management.

It has also emerged that the local authority is failing to deal with acting positions as it has four acting town clerks.

Last week three directors dragged council to court arguing that their suspensions without pay and benefits were unlawful as this was contrary to provisions of Section 140 of the Urban Councils Act.

The application comes against the backdrop of another challenge by acting town clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube, who contested her suspension arguing that mayor Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni does not have authority to suspend a chamber secretary.

The city was also recently ordered to reinstate its finance director Mr Justice Mandizha to his position or pay him $760 000 in damages and is also set to pay former NMBZ Bank chief executive Mr James Mushore more than $200 000.

Harare spurned its parent ministry’s advice that Mr Mushore’s appointment was illegal and rushed to give him the coveted position of Harare town clerk.

The city has various other cases before the courts of other junior employees.

City of Harare suspended Mrs Ncube and the three directors — Dr Prosper Chonzi (health services director), Mr Tendai Kwenda (finance director) and Dr Cainos Chingombe (human capital) — last month on allegations of financial abuse following a report by a tribunal set up in February to investigate council salaries.

Eng Hosiah Chisango was appointed acting town clerk. In 2016 when Mayor Manyenyeni suspended Mrs Ncube, Dr Chingombe was appointed acting town clerk only to be replaced by Dr Chonzi after he was also suspended.

The Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing reversed the suspensions and Mrs Ncube bounced back, but council did not write to Dr Chingombe and Dr Chonzi to inform them that they cease to be acting town clerks.

Asked for comment, Dr Chingombe yesterday confirmed he was still acting. “Technically I am acting and I will be claiming my money very soon,” he said.

Clr Manyenyeni yesterday conceded that the legal costs were worrying and that some could have been avoided.

“Worrying costs indeed. Some of these are avoidable,” he said.

Meanwhile, controversy continues to shroud the disciplinary committee set for the directors.

The directors allege that it is tantamount to Mayor Manyenyeni, whose sincerity they have been doubting, appointing himself complainant, law enforcement agent and judge after appointing the tribunal and disciplinary committee.

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