Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
Seven years after US$4,5 million allegedly went missing at Harare Quarry, Harare City Council is yet to file a police report over the suspected embezzlement at one of its business units.
This came out on Thursday when Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume appeared before the commission of inquiry into the affairs of the Harare City Council chaired by retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda.
Councillor Mafume admitted that the money had indeed been looted at Harare Quarry, one of the council-owned companies that the commission has been asked to also investigate.
The Mayor, however, told the commission that council was yet to make a formal police report about the missing millions.
Allegations are that the City received a loan of more than US$4,5 million, advanced in 2017 for the recapitalisation of one of its business units, Harare Quarry, and to date, the money cannot be accounted for.
Harare Quarry has not submitted its accounts to the council since 2018.
After suspicions of misuse of the loan arose, the council reportedly carried out a forensic audit, which subsequently uncovered evidence of misuse of the money but no official report has yet been made to the police.
When asked by one of the evidence leaders, Mr Tapiwa Godzi, if he was aware of the missing US$4,5 million, Cllr Mafume said: “Yes, it was stolen by the former management of (Harare) Quarry.” Further quizzed whether the matter was reported to the police, Cllr Mafume said he was not sure but later returned after a tea break saying he had just been informed that the matter was reported to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) last year in September.
“So, US$4,5 million just disappeared and the mayor and others just didn’t want to report about it anymore? Were you not worried? Why didn’t you report it?” Mr Godzi asked the mayor.
However, Cllr Mafume justified himself saying the money was looted when he was not yet in office.
“We have changed the management at the quarry. We have made resolutions in council directing the town clerk to make those particular reports and to recover the money.
“I am aware that ZACC, at some point, was involved, but I am not aware whether it was done on our report or at its own instance or from an independent whistleblower.”
Justice Cheda told the mayor that he was supposed to also make a police report and keep making follow-ups with ZACC.
In a video posted on Harare City Council’s official social media pages, Cllr Mafume said he had heeded the Justice Cheda-chaired Commission’s advice and that he would make a police report about the missing US$4,5 million from Harare Quarry (Pvt) Ltd.
By the time of going to print, ZACC was yet to give The Herald a comment about the status of the investigation into the missing US$4,5 million.
Meanwhile, the Commission adjourned hearing the mayor’s testimony to Monday next week, February 10.
