Unauthorised Access to City of Harare’s Financial System Sparks Concerns
Over 1,000 individuals had unauthorised access to the City of Harare’s financial system, raising serious concerns about potential corruption and the misuse of funds that could amount to millions of dollars. This alarming situation was brought to light during the last full council meeting of the year at Town House, where Mayor Jacob Mafume raised questions about a “super user” who had tampered with the system.
In response, a council official revealed that the case had been reported to the police, and it was indicated that 1,000 people had the authority to open accounts using the council’s system. Mafume emphasized that the council is a public institution, not personal property, and urged all councillors and employees to take their work seriously.
“The enterprise resource package (ERP) system coming on board will reduce theft,” Mafume said. “The theft that has been happening has been due to human factors. If 1,000 people have access to the council system, it’s a chaotic situation. Let’s have a tight system.”
The Need for an ERP System
The lack of an ERP system has long been identified as a major weakness in Harare’s governance, creating opportunities for corruption and financial mismanagement. An ERP system integrates key functions — including accounting, procurement, and billing — into a single, transparent, and auditable platform. Without it, the city relies on older, more vulnerable systems that are easier to manipulate, as the recent heist appears to demonstrate.
Mafume complained that the council system had not been fully digitalised, resulting in council employees targeting loopholes to steal from the municipality. “The systems have been manipulated. Super users have gone in to take money and create accounts,” he said. “We had 1,000 people who had authority to create an account within our system — that’s how loose our system was.”
He added that the council is tightening controls around profligacy, corruption, and misuse of council funds so they can focus on investments, housing, and other projects.
Legal Actions and Digital Transformation
Mafume indicated that the council intends to prosecute the super user and involved residents. “We are going to prosecute residents whose bills were manipulated,” he said. “Some were approached and agreed to pay a certain amount to an individual and a minimal amount to the council to clear their bills. Those ratepayers must come forward, or we will prosecute them. We have the records.”
He also mentioned that the council plans to digitalize most operations to reduce human intervention. “People will not have to visit physical offices for many of the services we offer.”
Recent Scandal Highlights Systemic Issues
This follows a recent revelation that five council workers used fake accounts to steal ZiG $500,000 from residents in just four days. The incident underscores the urgent need for systemic reforms and stronger oversight to prevent further abuse of public resources.
Steps Forward
To address these challenges, the City of Harare is taking several steps:
- Implementing the ERP system to streamline operations and enhance transparency.
- Prosecuting individuals involved in financial misconduct.
- Digitizing services to minimize human intervention and reduce opportunities for fraud.
- Educating residents about the importance of reporting suspicious activities.
By addressing these issues head-on, the city aims to restore public trust and ensure that its resources are used effectively for the benefit of all citizens.
