THE CENTRE SPREAD BY MOSES MATENGA
Chombo’s decision curiously came hours after Mahachi was suspended for three months for failure to implement a December directive to avail information regarding the salary structure of managers at Town House.
The action by Chombo raised tempers and a barrage of criticism from residents and civic groups that felt his action was tantamount to protecting more than just Mahachi.
The rage against Chombo was showcased in the form of demonstrations, hunger strikes, court applications and outbursts on social media by stakeholders with people demanding answers.
And, when NewsDay recently sought views of people on Chombo’s decision, the common thinking was that he was up to something.
It has emerged that over the years Mahachi has been a conduit of decisions and deals that bypassed elected councillors and mayors at Town House; a situation which would implode in the minister’s face if Mahachi were to be removed from council.
Combined Harare Residents’ Association chairman Simbarashe Moyo said it was clear Chombo did that to perpetuate the same secrecy that might be shrouding investigations into corrupt dealings at Town House.
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“Remember Mahachi was taken by Chombo from Air Zimbabwe, so that makes him the minister’s point man at Town House. They made all deals together and the minister is prepared to go all the way to protect Mahachi. It’s clear they are up to something,” Moyo said.
Manyenyeni could not have put it clearer than he did on Tuesday when he told residents that Mahachi was Chombo’s man at Town House and he reports directly to the minister instead of the mayor.
“The information (on the management payroll) never came despite several attempts and orders to have it. As we speak, I still don’t have that information as requested. The only response that I got was after an article in the Press; Mahachi (then) wrote to me saying he had availed the information to the minister. You can see the arrogance; we asked for the information, but he wrote to me saying he had given it to the minister,” Manyenyeni said . “On reinstating him, the pressure came from the minister, not the MDC-T leader (Morgan Tsvangirai) as reported.”
Several investigations at Town House on land deals involving businessman Philip Chiyangwa have linked Chombo and Mahachi to underhand dealings to promote their business ambitions at the local authority.
A 2010 report produced by councillors on the illegal sale of land featured prominently the two men together with Chiyangwa, former chairperson of the Harare commission Sekesai Makwavarara and her predecessor Michael Mahachi.
Other names that feature in the report linking Chombo and Mahachi include that of businessman Ken Sharpe’s Augur Investments and West Group.
Chombo reportedly holds directorships in Harvest Net, Way Wick, Way Corn, Tonewick and Nedbourne among many others and has a vast array of properties across the country.
Among some of the questionable deals that involved Chombo and Mahachi that councillors say were criminal was the $90 million Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Express Highway, known to many as Airport Road, and the multi-million dollar Borrowdale Mall (Mall of Zimbabwe) project.
The report by the (former councillor) Warship Dumba-led special investigations committee in 2010 showed that Augur Investments, a company linked to Sharpe, who is believed to be a close associate of Chombo, charged council about $90 million for the Airport Road project.
Critics say much bigger projects like the construction of the 77km Ngezi Road in Chegutu by Zimplats cost only $19 million, hence the need for a probe on why $90 million was charged for the Airport Road.
In 2009, Harare councillors reported the award of the tender for the construction of Airport Road to the Anti-Corruption Commission amid suspicion on how it was awarded.
Mahachi’s name featured prominently in the deal that was questioned by residents and councillors who did not want to renew Mahachi’s contract in 2009, but later did so under pressure from Chombo.
“(Chamber secretary) Josephine Ncube was advised not to sit for meetings concerning the Airport Road deal because Minister Chombo had said so,” read the document seen by NewsDay in part. Why Ncube was barred by Chombo from the meeting remains a mystery.
Mahachi was a director in Sunshine Company, a Harare City Council venture with Augur Investments for some projects in Harare, a deal councillors professed ignorance of.
In September 2008, Mahachi, according to a report, identified land as part payment by City of Harare to Augur Investments and later resigned as a director of Sunshine Company.
In 2009, Mahachi was tasked by councillors to come up with a report on the procedures followed to award construction contracts and dualisation of Airport Road to Augur Investments. All the deals were done during the days of the commissions appointed by Chombo.
Another ally of Chombo, Michael Mahachi, ironically is a project manager at Augur Investments, after securing deals for the firm during his stint as chairperson of the commission.
Councillors wanted Michael Mahachi probed for conflict of interest.
Tendai Mahachi joined council in 2004 as a turnaround strategist. He was to rejoin the city two years later following a stint with Air Zimbabwe, according to his curriculum vitae.
He was appointed town clerk in 2007. There were attempts not to renew his contract in 2009 by councillors, but after pressure from Chombo, his contract was renewed.
In another case, documented in a probe report by the Dumba team of eight councillors, Chombo reportedly wrote to Mahachi proposing to acquire Stand 61 Helensvale.
“Director (of Housing and Community Services Psychology)Chiwanga then responded to the Minister’s application indicating that he would help him get the stand. It is unclear how Chiwanga became involved because Minister Chombo had written his proposal letter to town clerk Mahachi,” the report read in part. “On 21 March, 2008 Chiwanga tabled a report to council advising of the minister’s proposal and he recommended to council that the minister be sold the stand without going to tender in terms of council policy. On the same day, the Commission running the affairs of the City of Harare at the time considered the report, and followed up with an urgent meeting on 25 March 2008, where they pegged the price and sold Stand 61 Helensvale to Minister Chombo on the same day. On 27 March 2008, Chiwanga wrote to Minister Chombo advising him of the commission’s decision to sell the stand to him.”
The Harare Residents’ Trust (HRT) also noted in its several submissions on the matter that Chombo’s actions were “consistent with criminal intent”.
“The major achievement of the commissions was personal enrichment and acted more as representatives of the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development than in the best interests of the City of Harare. The minister secured their continued stay at Town House while they complied with his directives, verbal and written, without raising any objections.”
HRT recommended that an independent inquiry, instituted by the Speaker of Parliament, should investigate the relationship that existed between Chombo and the City of Harare from 2005 to March 31 2010.
HRT also wanted a probe on the relationship between Chombo and Chiwanga to the extent that the director recommended the violation of a standing council policy simply to appease Chombo.
Recently, Dumba was quoted saying the recent move by Chombo to reinstate Mahachi was to protect his interests.
“Mahachi and Chombo have been involved in a lot of urban planning activities and if Mahachi is removed from Town House, then the minister fears for the worst,” Dumba said.
Chombo created a fiefdom at Town House beginning with the firing of MDC-T executive mayor Elias Mudzuri who had defeated Zanu PF’s Amos Midzi in the March 2002 mayoral election. After firing Mudzuri, Chombo swiftly appointed Makwavarara, who was Mudzuri’s deputy, to take over power at Town House. Makwavarara quickly crossed the floor from MDC-T to join Zanu PF.
It was during the Makwavarara era that cases of illicit land deals are said to have started.
From then, Chombo has assumed a “godly status” at Town House where his lieutenants, Mahachi included, look at MDC-T councillors as powerless and report directly to Chombo.
Currently, the councillors are investigating cases of corruption at Town House and the audit started on Monday. However, due to interference by Chombo, it remains to be seen whether the probe will lead to action on Mahachi or not and if the councillors will remain safe after that exercise.
Of late those who have crossed Chombo’s path through investigations have been fired and these include Dumba and another member of the team Casper Takura. Other councillors that were fired for several reasons by Chombo include Paul Gorekore, Silas Machetu, Maxwell Katsande and Johnson Zaranyika.
Mahachi reportedly takes home $37 000 a month from the cash-strapped authority, but the total package including perquisites may never be known due to the culture of secrecy surrounding Town House.
