1/ On Monday, I was requested to testify before (Rtd) Justice Maphosa Cheda at the Harare City Commission inquiry, a forum set up by Mr Mnangagwa.
2/ I have reservations about the foundation of the
Commission. However, out of courtesy, and being an officer of the Court and
Justice, I obliged.
3/ The Commission sought my response to claims purportedly
made by a councillor mentioning my name in connection with the so-called
"regularisation process" of the Harare City Council.
4/ I made it unequivocally clear: I have no locus to
comment on local authority issues. I am neither a councillor, mayor, local
government official, nor part of central government. Urban councils are
statutory bodies governed by the Urban Councils Act. Decisions arise from
council committees or full council motions—not external actors or political
parties.
5/ An audio was played at the hearing, said to be of the
councillor referring to me as a leader of a party. Its amateurish presentation,
played from a phone, raised questions about its authenticity and veracity. Yet,
I responded to avoid embarrassing the commission. For the record, I would not
recognise the named councillor if we met face to face. The voice on the audio
also mentioned Mr Mnangagwa. I pointed out that if my presence was deemed
necessary, based merely on this audio, then the same courtesy should surely be
extended to Mr Mnangagwa, whose name was also mentioned.
6/ The principle is clear: he who alleges must prove. It is
unjust to summon private individuals based on unsubstantiated claims. The law
demands evidence, not speculative accusations.
7/ I wish to state the following for the record; as a human
rights defender, a justice champion and a consummate constitutionalist, I
strongly condemn the destruction of people’s homes. Using bulldozers to erase
lives and livelihoods is criminal, sadistic and inhumane. This is not justice;
it is evidence a systemic leadership failure and a mockery of human rights.
8/ This is not the first time a commission has been used as
a diversion from addressing real issues.
In 2018, Mr. Mnangagwa established the Motlanthe Commission following
disputed General Elections. I was summoned before the commission over a matter
entirely unrelated to me. Now in 2023, the same pattern is repeated, where I am
once again being drawn into issues far beyond my purview.
9/ This governance crisis cannot be resolved by malicious
intent and unwarranted targeting of innocent individuals through commissions.
It requires genuine accountability and action to address the root causes.
10/ Corruption, maladministration, and bad governance are
eroding our towns, cities, and country. These cancers must be rooted out. Local
governance has become a theatre of incompetence and impunity. It is a crisis
compounded by a small grouping that weaponises inquiries to distract from its
dire failures. It is time to hold accountable those truly responsible for this
decay. He was writing on X
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