CCC rewards activists, allies with Rufaro Board appointments
Brian Rungano Temba
The CCC led Harare City Council has appointed a compromised Rufaro Marketing Board comprising mainly of CCC activists and opposition sympathisers.
Rufaro Marketing was designed as the city’s business unit in charge of a vast portfolio of beerhalls dotted across the city.
The company spectacularly failed, failing to run all bars, opting to rent them out to private players instead.
Rufaro Marketing effectively ceased functioning in 2012, after failing to settle a US$5 million debt.
There have been numerous attempts by the City of Harare to revive the company since and the most recent overture reeks of political favouritism.
Rufaro Marketing which previously majored in Liqour has been diverted to focus on managing the estate and properties of Harare City Council.
In a meeting held by the City’s Business Committee on November 1, 2022 which was attended by half of the committee, the following were appointed as board members of Rufaro Marketing Pvt Ltd; Harrison Nkomo, Rewayi Nyamuronda, Obey Shava, Fortune Mangwiro, Warren Chiwawa, Ngoni Chimbalu and Juma Ulete.
Although some of the figures can pass for professional appointments, like Warren Chiwawa who by design as Chamber Secretary earns a spot on the board, it is hard to believe that those tasked with reviving City of Harare`s strategic asset were picked on merit.
Harrison Nkomo has for years been representing opposition figures in many court cases, these include Job Sikhala, Hebert Gomba and others.
He is most famous for representing Evan Mawarire in his treason trial, which generated widespread interest.
Could this be a case of a reward? Or trust in his abilities.
However, other appointments raise stink like that of Rewayi Nyamuronda, an activist and campaign team captain for former Harare Mayor Gomba.
He is currently running CCC campaigns in Hatfield.
In a thinly veiled attempt to sanitize the appointment, councillors in the business committee said Nyamuronda was appointed for his accounting capabilities as Accountant Head Finance and Company Secretary role he plays at Afroran Spinners Pvt Ltd.
Obey Shava a Government critic and lawyer is also part of the list.
Shava`s legal practice has become synonymous with representing opposition members.
In the past few years Shava has represented Martha O’Donovan, Makomborero Haruzivishe in 2021 over Kidnapping charges, Obey Sithole over charges of Warren Park Demonstrations in 2020, Joanah Mamombe in 2019 and Morgen Komichi in 2018, to mention but a few.
Shava is one of the most active lawyer in the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) structure, whose sympathies with the opposition are in plain sight.
One wonders with Warren Chiwawa and Harrison Nkomo, who are all lawyers, why Rufaro Marketing needs three lawyers.
Another board member Fortune Mangwiro was a runner up for Harare Mayor position under MDC-T in 2013. It is unclear where his politics lies now, since the MDC-T has split multiple times since then.
Mangwiro was appointed for his ‘Curriculum Vitae’ which attests to him being a Valuation Surveyor and Real Estate Consultant, Chief Executive at Crusader Real Estate Consultancy.
Perhaps the most glaring appointment is that of Juma Ulete, the same man who was heading the GoFundMe fundraiser for Nelson Chamisa’s Bulletproof car.
The campaign raised US$130 000, but the car is yet to be bought and no feedback has been given to those who parted with their hard earned money.
Another appointee has a chequered past.
Ngoni Chimbalu who was an active member in the old MDC-T, writing opinion pieces in favour of Nelson Chamisa during the height of factional fights has also been recognised.
His competences are simply listed as Financial Management.
Of all councillors who were present in the meeting, only Councillor Blessing Duma raised a red flag.
He objected to the appointment of two candidates, Harrison Nkomo and Ngoni Chimbalu and wanted to look at more CVs.
Reasons for his objection were not recorded.
When Tateguru sought his comment on why he had taken that seemingly unpopular stance he refused to speak, saying;
“I can’t discuss issues that are discussed in committee but in full council so the only information I can give is the one captured in the full council minutes.
The rest committee meetings are not subject to discussion, unless I have express authority from council,” he said.
Tateguru TV also contacted the Chairperson of the Business Committee, Councillor Stanely Manyenga to understand the criteria which informed the selection of these candidates.
In a terse response, Councillor Manyenga said;
“The procedure is done through the town clerk’s office and we only consider a report from the town clerks.”
Asked to comment on the opposition links, Councillor Manyenga said the town clerk`s office is in charge of all preliminary processes, arguing that they have guidelines against nepotism tendencies, segregation, equality and other factors.”
Efforts to contact Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume did not bear fruit.
This is not the first time City of Harare has shown clear bias in its appointments, in February 2019 the local authority recruited over 1000 municipal police officers from opposition ranks as reward for their participation in mobilising for the 2018 polls.
The recruitment ballooned the city`s wage bill to a point where they had to sell land to pay salaries.
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