Published: 4 hours ago

The Harare City Council has once again come under fire for the lavish spending habits of its senior officials, with residents paying the price for what critics describe as wasteful indulgence.

Despite the municipality's ongoing financial struggles, large delegations of top council executives continue to attend workshops at the city's expense - many of which appear to have little to no benefit to service delivery.

During a recent council meeting, Councillor Denford Ngadziore expressed frustration over the practice, accusing some officials of using workshops as an excuse for luxury hotel stays.

"At one time, we had over 20 workshops or trips of Council. If you check the attendance records, it looks as if we might be spending more on trips and workshops that are not bringing direct benefits to Council," Ngadziore said. "For example, you see a report with three councillors and 20 officials. I've attended such workshops before, and many people just stay in their rooms without contributing to the discussions."

The revelations come at a time when Harare residents are grappling with deteriorating service delivery, often blamed on a lack of funding. Critics say the council's frequent workshops have become a "feeding trough" for officials, who collect generous allowances while the city's basic services continue to crumble.

The issue has also been raised during the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into the City Council's governance systems, where allegations of financial mismanagement have been a central concern.

In response to the criticism, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume acknowledged the need for restraint.

"Let us look at some of the workshops so that we reduce the cost to the organisation. Let us look at the bottom line as far as that issue is concerned," Mafume said.

Residents' associations have warned that unless the council reins in such spending, public trust in the municipality will continue to erode - and service delivery will deteriorate further.
- NewZimbabwe

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