Nyemudzai Kakore Herald Correspondent
Harare City Council is investigating five senior employees in its water department after they allegedly connected water to illegal settlements.

This comes after council cleared Harare Water Department director Engineer Christopher Zvobgo of any wrongdoing.

The five implicated employees are accused of using their private companies to connect water to most of the illegal settlements dotted around Harare.

Council sources said water and distribution manager, Eng Hosiah Chisango, waste water Eng Victor Musikavanhu, chief technician Mr Charles Juta and two junior technicians are all under probe.

In December last year, Harare sent Eng Zvobgo on forced leave, following a directive from Local Government Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere that he be suspended to pave way for investigations for illegal water connections.

During a fact-finding tour of some areas where houses were demolished and several cooperatives dotted around Harare last year, Minister Kasukuwere said there was need for a shake-up at Harare City Council to restore order in the city.

Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni confirmed the developments.

“I can confirm that Engineer Zvobgo returned to work on January 19 and council has started investigations on five employees at other levels of management who are being implicated and disciplinary processes are under way,” he said.

The investigations come after some councillors and council officials were recently fingered in shoddy dealings that involve the siphoning of $200 000 from Harare Municipality Medical Aid Society and the illegal setting up of housing cooperatives and illegal structures.

Workers’ unions yesterday said sanity should be restored at council and all corrupt activities including workers implicated must be investigated and held accountable.

Urban and Rural Councils’ Workers Union secretary Mr Bernard Dhanda said Eng Zvobgo should remain suspended while his subordinates are being investigated.

“He must be aware of what was taking place as his subordinates are alleged to have been behind the illegal water connections. The problem with most of the head of departments is that they are always out of their offices attending to seminars so there is lack of supervision.”

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