Harare Officials Under Fire for Luxury Vehicle Purchases.
A city probe revealed Harare council leaders bought 13 luxury vehicles, including top-end Toyota SUVs, as basic services lag. The city's procurement chief faced tough questions Tuesday about these purchases.
The fleet includes 12 Toyota Fortuner GD6 vehicles for directors and a premium Toyota Prado VX200 for the town clerk. Council sources say officials avoid driving these cars to work, parking them far from City Hall to escape public notice.
Never Murerwa, the city's supply chain manager, admitted to the commission that buying expensive cars wastes public money. When pressed about the Prado - a model typically reserved for Cabinet ministers - Murerwa blamed the human resources department.
"They park them in garages and walk to Town House," witness Joyce Shumba told the panel led by retired judge Maphios Cheda. "Why can't they drive their official vehicles? Because they know vehicles shouldn't have been a priority."
The hearing forms part of a broader investigation into corruption at Harare City Council. Several top officials have testified, including suspended town clerk Hosiah Chisango and acting finance director Godfrey Kusangaya.
The commission continues to uncover details about city hall's spending practices. These revelations raise questions about priorities as residents face poor service delivery.
A city probe revealed Harare council leaders bought 13 luxury vehicles, including top-end Toyota SUVs, as basic services lag. The city's procurement chief faced tough questions Tuesday about these purchases.
The fleet includes 12 Toyota Fortuner GD6 vehicles for directors and a premium Toyota Prado VX200 for the town clerk. Council sources say officials avoid driving these cars to work, parking them far from City Hall to escape public notice.
Never Murerwa, the city's supply chain manager, admitted to the commission that buying expensive cars wastes public money. When pressed about the Prado - a model typically reserved for Cabinet ministers - Murerwa blamed the human resources department.
"They park them in garages and walk to Town House," witness Joyce Shumba told the panel led by retired judge Maphios Cheda. "Why can't they drive their official vehicles? Because they know vehicles shouldn't have been a priority."
The hearing forms part of a broader investigation into corruption at Harare City Council. Several top officials have testified, including suspended town clerk Hosiah Chisango and acting finance director Godfrey Kusangaya.
The commission continues to uncover details about city hall's spending practices. These revelations raise questions about priorities as residents face poor service delivery.
