Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume called out the city's top managers for failing to fix run-down district offices. He pointed out that these managers live in huge homes that make the district offices look tiny. Reports say the town clerk pulls in over $30,000 monthly, and even the lowest-paid executive earns about $15,000 each month. These big earners keep quiet about their wealth. They drive used cars to work and sit on beat-up furniture, trying to hide how much money they make.
At a recent push to collect more city money, Mafume highlighted how small district offices looked compared to the fancy houses where city managers live. He said his house was small, but many managers had houses bigger than entire district offices. Mafume suggested they should fix up those district offices before anyone starts checking out where these managers live. He warned everyone would be shocked if they visited these private homes.
Mafume proposed they start by visiting the town clerk's house, then move on to the finance director and other leaders. He ordered a team to speed up fixing the district offices right away. Most district offices across Harare look awful and face regular power cuts. Because systems don't work properly, cashiers must save financial records on flash drives even as executives take home fat checks.
The Cleveland Building, where the Department of Works operates, also needs serious repairs. It has broken chairs, toilets that don't flush, and paint falling off walls. The suspended town clerk reportedly has four wives and built houses for each of them, including a big home for wife number four in Mt. Pleasant. Matthew Marara, who assists the town clerk, told a city investigation panel he owns three houses in rich areas - Gunhill, Mabelreign, and Bulawayo.
Edgar Dzehonye, a main housing officer for the Harare City Council, reportedly lives in Glen Lorne, another expensive neighborhood. Despite city buildings falling apart, executives spent $1 million last year on Toyota Fortuners. The suspended town clerk, Hosiah Chisango, led this purchase, reportedly using money from Harare City Park, which the city controls. The top staff apparently agreed not to drive their fancy Toyota Fortuner GD6 vehicles to work to avoid drawing attention.
At a recent push to collect more city money, Mafume highlighted how small district offices looked compared to the fancy houses where city managers live. He said his house was small, but many managers had houses bigger than entire district offices. Mafume suggested they should fix up those district offices before anyone starts checking out where these managers live. He warned everyone would be shocked if they visited these private homes.
Mafume proposed they start by visiting the town clerk's house, then move on to the finance director and other leaders. He ordered a team to speed up fixing the district offices right away. Most district offices across Harare look awful and face regular power cuts. Because systems don't work properly, cashiers must save financial records on flash drives even as executives take home fat checks.
The Cleveland Building, where the Department of Works operates, also needs serious repairs. It has broken chairs, toilets that don't flush, and paint falling off walls. The suspended town clerk reportedly has four wives and built houses for each of them, including a big home for wife number four in Mt. Pleasant. Matthew Marara, who assists the town clerk, told a city investigation panel he owns three houses in rich areas - Gunhill, Mabelreign, and Bulawayo.
Edgar Dzehonye, a main housing officer for the Harare City Council, reportedly lives in Glen Lorne, another expensive neighborhood. Despite city buildings falling apart, executives spent $1 million last year on Toyota Fortuners. The suspended town clerk, Hosiah Chisango, led this purchase, reportedly using money from Harare City Park, which the city controls. The top staff apparently agreed not to drive their fancy Toyota Fortuner GD6 vehicles to work to avoid drawing attention.
