By Own Correspondent.
An organisation representing residents associations across the country has written a letter to the minister of local government and public works demanding that he steps in to address the recent published looting scandal at the beleaguered Harare City Council.
A report by The Herald unearthed a corruption scandal involving councillors and top council officials where they were accused of awarding themselves stands from as little as US$60. They will later resell the stands to around a whopping US$120 000.
In a hard-hitting letter dated 28 December, the Shalvar Chikomba-led Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trust (ZNOART) said the minister needs to set up a commission to investigate all the corruption cases at Harare Town Council as reported by The Herald.
“Honourable Minister we believe that what has been unearthed by The Herald is just tip of an iceberg in a humongous, well-choreographed and corrupt plan to loot land by the Harare councillors and top officials that we pray that you set-up a commission of inquiry for onward submission to ZACC and investigate all the councillors and council officials involved in corrupt and criminal abuse of duty activities at the Town House, “the letter reads.
It further says that there is the need to ‘suspend with immediate effect all the councillors and council officials fingered so that they do no tamper with evidence and witnesses’.
According to ZNOART, all the illegal land allocations should be reversed while appropriate action should be applied to those who ‘will be found wanting’ .
“Rescind all the land allocations awarded unprocedurally to all the above mentioned and apply consequence management to all who will be found wanting,” states the letter.
The letter was also copied to Harare Metropolitan Provincial Affairs secretary Tafadzwa Muguti and ZACC chairperson Loice Matanda-Moyo.
