CHEGUTU ZANU-PF CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO SUSPEND MDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001555 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER LONDON FOR C. GURNEY PARIS FOR C. NEARY NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2013 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR ZI SUBJECT: CHEGUTU ZANU-PF CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO SUSPEND MDC MAYOR REF: A. HARARE 1491 ¶B. HARARE 42 Classified By: Political Officer Audu Besmer for reasons 1.5 b/d Summary: -------------- ¶1. (C) On July 31 the ZANU-PF dominated city council of Chegutu voted to suspend the MDC Mayor of Chegutu Francis Dhlakama and withdraw all benefits of his office. Dhlakama facilitated an early July Ministry of Local Government audit which detailed corruption perpetrated by various members of the Chegutu City Council, primarily the ZANU-PF Deputy Mayor Phineas Mariyapera. Under normal circumstances a damning government audit, such as this one should be enough to at least investigate, if not suspend the city council -- rather than the Mayor. The audit puts the Ministry of Local Government in a quandary, how to respect the results without further tarring the image of ZANU-PF in Chegutu. End Summary Council Votes to Suspend Mayor -------------- ¶2. (C) On July 31 the ZANU-PF dominated city council of Chegutu voted to suspend the MDC Mayor of Chegutu Francis Dhlakama and withdraw all benefits of his office including his official vehicle, house, salary, his secretary's salary, his guards and his cell phone. According to Dhlakama, only the Minister of Local Government Ignatius Chombo has the legal right to suspend him. Dhlakama expects to receive written notification of his suspension on August 1, and for a representative of the council to demand his car keys. He is unsure when the other benefits might be withdrawn, but believes that will follow soon. Dhlakama will request a meeting with Chombo on August 1 to argue his side of the story, hoping to appeal the suspension; however, he expects Chombo to uphold it. Audit Details Fraud by Councilors -------------- ¶3. (C) In early July, a team of Ministry of Local Government auditors completed an investigation and report of corruption perpetrated by various members of the Chegutu City Council, primarily the ZANU-PF Deputy Mayor Phineas Mariyapera, and councilor Chigaze for upwards of ZWD$150 million (about USD$45,000 at the current parallel rate). The scheme, ongoing since 2001, involved understating taxpayer payments--while the full sums were collected from the taxpayer, some wound up in private accounts rather than public coffers. The government auditors recommended immediate dissolution of the council and police investigation of the fraud. Dhlakama has facilitated the work of the auditors and informs us that even ZANU-PF heavyweights are annoyed at this crime--perhaps because it was local and they did not benefit, perhaps because it has further alienated ZANU-PF from the people of Chegutu. ¶4. (U) Chegutu has been besieged with problems in the recent past. On July 21 ZANU-PF supporters prevented ten prospective MDC candidates for the City Council from registering their candidacies (Ref A). Dhlakama himself was reportedly beaten on that day. In November 2002 about forty ZANU-PF supporters attacked Dhlakama in his office injuring a police officer, a bodyguard and damaging computers and furniture (Ref B). ¶5. (U) The MDC will argue in Harare High Court on August 1 that nomination courts in Chegutu, Rusape, Bindura and Marondera should be re-opened to allow MDC candidates to register for the August 30 - 31 urban council and mayoral elections. Comment: -------------- ¶6. (C) Under normal circumstances a damning government audit, such as the one completed in Chegutu by the same Ministry that oversees local government, should be enough to at least investigate, if not suspend the city council itself. But on planet Zimbabwe it appears that the MDC mayor will be suspended instead, lawfully or not. The audit does put the Ministry of Local Government in a quandary, how to respect the results of its own audit without further tarring the image of ZANU-PF in Chegutu. End Comment. SULLIVAN