Harare City Council has suspended 27 employees at its Valuation and Estates Division for allegedly clandestinely issuing illegal licences to unregistered motor car dealers.
BY MOSES MATENGA STAFF REPORTER
Council spokesperson Leslie Gwindi confirmed the development yesterday and invited victims of the alleged scam to assist in the investigations.
“We have suspended 27 officials over the car sales saga and we are calling upon all those who were duped to come to us with information,” Gwindi said.
He said disciplinary hearings for the suspended employees, including acting departmental head Eben Francisco, would be conducted soon.
The suspensions came as the local authority had intensified demolition of illegal car sales garages that had sprouted in most parts of the capital city, amid reports that only one out of the estimated 200 car sales was licenced.
Several affected car dealers claimed they had paid huge sums of money to council officials in an effort to regularise their operations, but were surprised when they were advised that they were illegally operating.
Some claimed to have paid over $3 000 to named council officials.
