HARARE
–
Town
clerk
Hosiah
Chisango
has
been
suspended
by
Harare
mayor
Jacob
Mafume
over
a
slew
of
alleged
misdemeanours
which
include
the
embattled
city
boss’s
awarding
of
a
streetlighting
tender
to
a
blacklisted
company.
His
suspension
is
effect
from
September
30
but
is
with
pay
and
other
benefits.
Chisango
faces
corruption
allegations
emanating
from
his
awarding
of
a
US$9,2
million
Harare
streetlighting
deal
to
jailed
businessman
Moses
Mpofu’s
company.
He
was
arrested
in
July
this
year
and
was
later
released
on
US$500
bail
September
17
this
year.
In
a
letter
outlining
the
reasons
behind
Chisango’s
suspension,
Mafume
said
“The
employer
has
a
good
cause
to
believe
that
you
have
committed
a
serious
misconduct
in
that
you
contravened
Section
4(a)
of
the
National
Code
i.e.
S.I.
15
of
2006
otherwise
known
as
‘Any
act
or
conduct
or
omission
inconsistent
with
the
fulfilment
of
the
express
or
implied
conditions
of
his
or
her
contract’.
You
did
so
in
one
or
more
of
the
following
ways;
“You
misconducted
yourself
in
the
procurement
and
award
of
a
tender
for
streetlights
to
Jukula
Enterprises
in
that
you
awarded
the
contract
to
a
blacklisted
company
which
had
a
record
of
breaching
its
tender
obligations.
“Or
that
you
awarded
a
tender
to
a
company
owned
by
proprietors
of
blacklisted
companies
thereby
exposing
Council
to
potential
financial
losses
and
which
company
in
this
case
had
not
won
the
tender.
“In
doing
so
you
have
failed
one
of
your
primary
functions
as
the
accounting
officer
which
is
to
protect
the
council’s
interest.”
Among
the
grounds
of
his
suspension,
Chisango
was
also
accused
of
“failing
to
secure
effective
Enterprise
Resource
Planning
(ERP)
software
for
the
management
of
the
council’s
billing
and
accounting
systems
over
five
years”.
“As
the
Accounting
Officer,
you
have
failed
to
secure
an
effective
Enterprise
Resource
Planning
(‘ERP’)
Software
and
System
support
for
the
management
of
the
Council’s
billing
and
accounting
systems
for
about
5
years.
“This
has
resulted
in
failure
to
carry
out
statutory
audits,
to
obtain
timeous
budget
approvals
and
also
has
led
to
adverse
reports
by
the
Auditor
General,
Moreso,
you
have
generally
mishandled
the
(‘ERP’)
procurement
and
tender
processes
leading
to
several
court
challenges
and
attracted
negative
publicity
thereby
putting
the
name
of
the
organisation
into
disrepute,”
Mafume
wrote.
The
Town
Clerk
is
accused
of
extending
his
contract
indefinitely
after
its
expiration
in
July
2023,
without
the
required
authorization.
“You
effected
changes
to
the
council
organogram
and
structure
by
appointing
senior
council
officers
to
Grades
1,
2
and
3
without
Council
Authority
and
without
the
approval
of
the
Local
Governance
Board
in
terms
of
Section
134(1)
of
the
Urban
Council’s
Act.
“In
particular,
you
appointed
a
senior
council
official
to
Grade
1B
without
the
requisite
approvals.
“You
also
appointed
more
senior
officials
from
Grade
4
to
Grade
3
without
the
necessary
approvals.
“In
doing
so
you
abused
your
authority
and
also
undermined
the
authority
of
Council
and
the
Local
Government
Board.
“At
the
expiry
of
your
fixed
term
contract
around
July
2023,
you
proceeded
to
give
yourself
a
contract
without
limit
of
time
without
the
knowledge
and
authority
of
the
council
and
without
the
approval
of
the
Local
Government
Board
in
terms
of
Section
132(1)
of
the
Urban
Council’s
Act.
“In
violation
of
the
circular
issued
on
the
26th
of
June
2014
paragraph
2.2
by
the
Ministry
of
Local
Government
and
approved
by
Cabinet”.
Chisango
was
barred
from
visiting
his
workplace
during
the
period
of
his
suspension.
“During
the
period
of
your
suspension,
you
shall
not
be
allowed
to
attend
the
workplace
or
carry
out
any
duties
unless
directed
to
do
so
by
the
Mayor.
“You
are
requested
not
to
interfere
with
Council
staff
and
other
witnesses
in
the
matter,”
further
reads
the
letter.