Harare City Council is facing fresh scrutiny over alleged financial irregularities, with the Auditor-General reportedly flagging US$200 million as unaccounted for, while separate cases involving US$742 000 and ZiG5,7 million are before the courts.
A Harare City Council records clerk, who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, said the audit had exposed serious accountability concerns within the local authority.
“The Auditor-General flagged US$200 million as unaccounted for in its audit,” the clerk said.
The source further revealed that between March 2025 and November 2026, cases involving US$742 000 and ZiG5,7 million were before the courts, implicating at least 10 council employees.
“No recoveries have been made so far, and the matter has been forwarded to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC),” the clerk said.
In a separate development, Harare City Council Dispatch Central Stores Clerk, Prosper Mukusha, appeared before magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzai on November 6, 2026, facing fraud charges over the alleged misappropriation of US$15 479 intended for payment of a “certificate of occupation” for Ocean Going Hotel, along Churchill Avenue East. The hotel is owned by a Chines national Ma Rong.
Mukusha was jointly charged with three accomplices, Emmanuel Mashoko, Shingirayi Chiwara and Julius Muteera, all Mbare District Office cashiers, for issuing a fraudulent certificate of occupation, have reportedly been arrested and released.
The developments raise fresh questions about financial accountability and internal controls at the local authority.
Meanwhile, over the past two decades, service delivery across Zimbabwe’s major cities has deteriorated, with corruption, weak governance and poor financial management listed as major contributors.
The alleged irregularities highlight the need for stronger oversight, transparent financial management and accountability in the handling of public resources, if Council is to uphold its mandate to provide essential services such as water supply, refuse collection, road maintenance and sewerage management.
