The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has taken the fight against corruption in Harare to a new level, seizing luxury vehicles belonging to the wives of imprisoned Harare town clerk Hosiah Chisango, Newsday has reported.
This move, which comes just weeks after Chisango’s arrest, is seen as a significant step in the ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption within the City of Harare.
The ZACC believes the vehicles were purchased by Chisango using funds obtained through corrupt activities at Town House. Chisango was arrested last month over a US$9,2 million streetlights deal and is currently languishing in remand prison after failing to secure bail. He faces a criminal abuse of office charge alongside four other council workers for awarding a contract to Juluka Endo Joint Venture, owned by businessman Moses Mpofu, who is also in remand prison.
The scandal revolves around a tender for the rehabilitation of street lighting along Harare’s roads, a project undertaken in preparation for the upcoming 44th Southern African Development Committee (SADC) summit scheduled for this coming weekend in the capital. The tender, advertised in the Government Gazette in March, attracted bids from eleven companies, including Juluka.
The arrest of the Town Clerk, who ultimately oversees the city’s operations, highlights the deep-seated corruption that has plagued the city’s administration for years. Allegations of tender manipulation and abuse of power have become increasingly common, raising concerns about the integrity of public procurement processes in Harare.
The ZACC’s statement at the time that Chisango was arrested alleged that he “acted in connivance with four other officials” to award the tender to Juluka without following proper procedures. This suggests a coordinated effort to circumvent the procurement process and enrich themselves at the expense of the city’s taxpayers.
This arrest follows the arrest of four senior City of Harare officials three weeks ago: Never Murerwa, Jabulani Mukomazi, Denford Zhungu, and Tawanda Mutenhabudo. These individuals, who held key positions within the Procurement Management Unit and the tender evaluation committee, have been remanded in custody, facing allegations of illegally awarding the lucrative streetlight tender to businessman Moses Mpofu’s company, Juluka Ennd Joint Venture.
The ZACC’s latest move, targeting the wives of the accused, further underscores the seriousness of the investigation. The agency confirmed that they have confiscated a Toyota Fortuner from Chisango’s third wife and a Mercedes-Benz from his fourth wife.
“It’s very true, we have taken a Toyota Fortuner vehicle from Chisango’s third wife and Mercedes-Benz from his fourth wife. We are also targeting a Mt Pleasant mansion, which is currently under construction,” a ZACC source said. “The Mt Pleasant house could simply be one of the best houses in the suburb, but we believe the money came from proceeds from HCC corrupt activities.”
The ZACC’s communications manager, Simiso Mlevu, declined to comment on the matter, stating that the case is sub judice. However, the actions taken by the ZACC send a strong message that they are determined to pursue all avenues in their investigation into the alleged corruption within the City of Harare.
The arrest of Chisango and the subsequent seizure of vehicles belonging to his wives have sparked widespread public debate about the extent of corruption within the city’s administration. The public is eagerly awaiting the outcome of the investigation and the potential consequences for those implicated.
Mayor Jacob Mafume, while acknowledging that he had heard about the developments, declined to comment on the matter, stating that he was not in a position to do so. “Yes, I heard about that, but I don’t want to comment on such matters. [Zacc] can comment on that,” he said.
