Gvt to fire Harare mayor, deputy

Harare City Council Mayor Jacob Mafume and two other councillors including his deputy Luckson Mukunguma are set to be sacked as councillors after Government suspended them from representing their wards pending dismissals, giving them only seven days to respond to corruption allegations against them.

The three including councillor Anthony Shingadeya were all suspended without pay and benefits by Government which said it has overwhelming evidence against their alleged corrupt deeds.

According to the leaked separate suspension letters the acting minister of local government Dr Jenfan Muswere said Mayor Mafume ward 17 councillor, Deputy Mayor Mukunguma (ward 25) and Shingadeya (ward 11) offered residential and business stands to undeserving people and companies that were not on the mandatory council housing waiting list.

Mayor Mafume is one of the most short-lived city mayor after spending only two months at the helm before being arrested on allegations of unprocedurally allocating residential stands to his sister and secretary in the leafy suburb of Westlea.

According to local the government ministry, it is through these same charges that it has suspended Mafume ordering him not to step his foot near any council premise.

Mayor Mafume, Deputy Mayor Mukunguma and councillor Shingadeya were also barred from conducting any council business.

Government said allegations against councillor Mukunguma are that of selling prime land surrounding City Sports Centre which is less than five kilometres from Harare’s CBD.

It also accuses him of authorising payment of $27 million from a firm that had an offer letter that was only valid for two days.

Councillor Shingadeya is accused of illegally parcelling out stands to undeserving various business entities who were allocated land in Glenview, Borrowdale and Malborough.

Of late the ruling Zanu PF Government has been exchanging dirty linen in public with MDC-Alliance which is in charge of the country’s most urban councils.

Government accused MDC councils of having run down the city while the opposition party blamed too much interference from Central Government.