adminMunicipal Reporter
Harare City Council has appointed chartered accountants firm Camelsa to sift through its finances amid reports of misappropriation of millions of dollars.
Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni yesterday said the firm is expected to give its initial feedback next week.
“We appointed Camelsa to do the city’s books last week. They have already started work and we expect them to give us an initial feedback in two weeks,” he said.
In the council’s special meeting held early this month councillors tasked the mayor and his deputy, Mr Thomas Muzuva, chairperson of the audit committee Clr Panganai Charumbira and deputy chairperson of the finance committee Cllr Urayayi Mangwiro to appoint a firm to audit the city’s books.
Chairperson of Harare City Council’s finance committee Clr Norman Markham, resigned from his post over the non-disclosure of executive salaries and general unaccountability at Town House.
In his resignation letter to Mayor Manyenyeni, Clr Markham said he was uncomfortable heading a finance committee that had no control over finances.
He said he could not believe that anyone with any self-respect would chair the Harare City Council finance committee as it stands and runs today.
The Helensvale, Borrowdale Brooke, Greystone Park, Kambanje and Glen Lorne councillor said the council executive was recruiting without council’s involvement adding that an area of particular irritation was the number of directors which stood at 14 before being trimmed.
Clr Markham said an amazing folly which he could not accept is a budget of US$1,6 million to sponsor a football club in the current economic crisis when the city could not afford any support to its amenities and associated residents.
The councillor resigned amid revelations that the city’s 18 directors were gobbling over half a million dollars in salaries every month at a time service delivery has plummeted to levels where council fails to replace street light bulbs.
There were also allegations that city officials could have pocketed more than US$100 million through inflating prices of equipment for the US$144,4 million loan obtained from China for the refurbishment of water and sewage treatment plants which contract was awarded to a Chinese company.
Online Reporter