George Mjajati has warned Harare City Council officials that they will be personally held accountable for poor performance, saying failure to deliver services...
George Mjajati has warned Harare City Council officials that they will be personally held accountable for poor performance, saying failure to deliver services after signing performance contracts could result in arrest.
The warning comes as the Harare City Council faces growing pressure over corruption allegations, financial mismanagement and declining service delivery that has frustrated residents across the capital.
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Mjajati made the remarks during the signing of performance contracts at Town House, where council subsidiaries committed themselves to measurable service delivery targets.
“The way to sign the contract is for the mayor, it is not the councillor. It is you who signs the contract and it is you who is going to be measured, and it is you who is going to be arrested,” Mjajati said.
The contracts were signed by several council subsidiaries, including Rufaro Marketing, City Parking and Harare City Markets.
Mjajati said the contracts form part of a broader move towards a performance management system where officials will be assessed based on efficiency, accountability and service delivery outcomes.
“When you do your work well, the rest of council is doing its work well and you get the place,” he said.
The mayor’s comments come amid ongoing investigations and corruption scandals involving council officials and former city leaders. A Commission of Inquiry chaired by retired Justice Maphios Cheda exposed widespread financial mismanagement, illegal land allocations and lack of transparency within the local authority.
The commission reportedly found that more than 1 000 individuals had unauthorised access to the city’s financial system. It also alleged that five council employees used fake accounts to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from council funds within a few days.
The inquiry, established by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, further revealed that several council subsidiaries were operating without proper financial oversight, with accounts either not submitted or revenue unaccounted for.
According to findings presented during the inquiry, Harare is estimated to have lost more than US$250 million through corruption and financial leakages over the past five years.
Mjajati said the city could no longer tolerate poor service delivery at a time when residents expect improvements in refuse collection, road maintenance, water supply and street lighting.
“There are also critical revenue collection points for us. We know, for example, City Parking systems are performing well from what I have observed,” he said.
“We want to make sure that our workers give the proper service that residents are paying for.”
Phakamile Mabhena Moyo said council was also working to strengthen its financial position by introducing strategic business units aimed at generating revenue and improving self-reliance.
“To achieve sustainable growth and better self-reliance, we are establishing strategic business units to sell our products,” Moyo said.
He added that departments within council would now be expected to adopt performance standards focused on efficiency, responsibility and accountability in delivering services to residents.
