Eng Chawatama, who is the city’s director of works, is now
on the police wanted list. Sources told The Herald that the police arrived at
Town House to arrest Eng Chawatama who had tried to extend a three-day acting
appointment early last month to a permanent posting to the Town Clerk’s Office.
But he heard word of the police arrival and raced into the
car park, jumped into an MP300 vehicle with the city council logo, and sped off
at high speed. The police team gave chase.
Eng Chawatama managed to get into Simon Mazorodze Road,
probably by cutting a couple of blocks south from Town House and then racing
down Fidel Castro Road to the flyover, and was heading south.
“The police were going after him, trying all means to get
him to stop. But he did not. Instead he increased speed. But it was clear that
he knew he was being chased,” said a source.
Upon arrival at Mbudzi Roundabout, Eng Chawatama turned
left into Chitungwiza Road, which at first sight seemed to be an error.
“When he crossed the bridge on Manyame River, he realised
there was a roadblock in front,” said the source. “At the same time the police
were flashing him, signalling him to stop. He reduced speed and pretended to
stop after the police came up on the side of his vehicle.
“All of a sudden and without warning, Chawatama made a
dangerous U-turn in front of other vehicles that were moving towards the
roadblock. He sped off at high speed going back to Mbudzi Roundabout.”
And in the swirling heavy traffic he made good his escape. Although
he could not give details, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner
Paul Nyathi confirmed Eng Chawatama had evaded arrested after the dramatic
chase.
“Yes, I can confirm that there was a high speed chase where
Chawatama was evading arrest by the police,” he said. “Police are still looking
for him and we want him to know that the net is closing in on him.”
Director and chairman of the Special Anti-Corruption Unit
in the President’s Office (Sacu) Mr Tabani Mpofu said it was too early to
comment on Eng Chawatama, but the public will be made aware once he was
arrested and taken to court.
Eng Chawatama appointed himself acting town clerk illegally
and without a shred of authority and was making executive decisions that had a
bearing on council’s operations.
According to a letter on December 8 last year, he was
indeed appointed to act as town clerk, but for just three days while then
acting town clerk Dr Prosper Chonzi was away on council business.
That letter is his sole excuse for staying in the post.
After the three days, Eng Chawatama refused to relinquish his acting position
and continued to act as the town clerk, making executive decisions.
On January 15, the then Harare council acting mayor Cllr
Luckson Mukunguma wrote to Eng Chawatama telling him that he was no longer the
acting town clerk, but he ignored that letter.
In his letter, Clr Mukunguma said: “It has come to my
attention that you are moving around purporting to be the acting town clerk,
making key appointments based on the same.
I wish to remind you that the town clerk remains Engineer
Hosiah Chisango. By copy of this letter, you are hereby warned to stop
masquerading as the acting town clerk as the same amounts to gross misconduct.”
On January 18 Eng Chawatama, in total defiance of the
letter he had received just three days earlier, wrote to all heads of
departments on the restructuring of the council’s operations. He signed the
letter as the acting town clerk.
Clr Mukunguma then reported Eng Chawatama to the Special
Anti-Corruption Unit for his illegal actions in usurping the post and indicated
that Eng Chawatama was also nullifying lawful decisions made by the Eng
Chisango as the town clerk. Herald
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