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Statement on corruption scandal at Town House
Transparency International – Zimbabwe (TI-Z)
March 09, 2009

The Transparency International Zimbabwe is greatly disturbed by the reports of massive corruption rocking Harare City Council. Consequently, we urgently call for a forensic audit to determine the magnitude of the rot that has dogged the Town House to date. This includes the periods of the illegal and legal commissions. The issue of the cattle is just a tip of the iceberg and we believe that the forensic audit will lay the cards bare for public scrutiny.

Critical in this endeavour are the following:

1. Forensic Audit into all Council Assets and Investments/Revenue Projects.

2. A clear system of public disclosure on the performance of these investments and all revenue generation projects of Council. This to include regular (quarterly) income/expenditure statements.

3. Determining of clear and robust accountability systems, their implementation and power of oversight committees

4. Councilors must have clear risk management controls/mechanisms to arrest corruption at the very early stages.

5. Councilors as custodians of the Town House, on behalf of the residents, must be clearly empowered and capacitated to plug off the gaps used by technocrats to fuel and camouflage corruption.

It is our clear conviction that the apparent gaps in the governance of the Town House through legitimately elected councils has fuelled the rot. The oversight role of the councilors is also greatly compromised by a system of patronage that has destroyed the very fibre of professionalism and ethical behaviour.

In the interest of transparency and accountability, the decision by the Council's Audit Committee, to suspend the Town Clerk, so as to pave way for unhindered investigations, must be effected by the Mayor of the City as soon as possible. This is critical in the wake of the propensity by the city officials to fleece residents and ratepayers of their meagre foreign currency resources.

Transparency International Zimbabwe is a registered trust whose vision is to have a Zimbabwe society anchored on the values of accountability, transparency and integrity.

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