Zvenyika Chawatama

Isaiah Zvenyika Chawatama is a Zimbabwean engineer and Harare City Council director of works. In January 2021 he evaded arrest on charges associated with abuse of office after evading the police in a dramatic high-speed chase down Simon Mazorodze and Chitungwiza roads. He was placed on the police wanted list.

Personal Details

No information was found on his age, place of birth, or family.

School / Education

No information was found on his Junior or High School, or any tertiary education.

Service/Career

On 8 December 2020, Chawatama was appointed to act as town clerk for only three days by then acting town clerk Dr Prosper Chonzi, while he was away on council business. After the expiry of the three days, Chawatama refused to relinquish his acting jacket and continued to act as the town clerk, making executive decisions.

On 15 January 2021, the then Harare council acting mayor councillor Luckson Mukunguma wrote to Chawatama advising him that he was no longer the acting town clerk, but he ignored the letter. On 18 January 2021, Chawatama ignored Mukunguma’s letter and wrote a letter to all heads of departments on the restructuring of the council’s operations.

Mukunguma then reported Eng Chawatama to the Special Anti-Corruption Unit for his illegal actions. ^[1]

On 29 January 2021, Chawatama evaded arrest on charges associated with abuse of office after evading the police in a dramatic high-speed chase down Simon Mazorodze and Chitungwiza roads. ^[2]

Events

Suspended Directors Petition 2023

The petition was given to Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume in June 2023 by Glen View residents. It notes, with anger, that the City of Harare has been paying full salaries to 6 Directors who are on suspension on corruption charges. The unresolved labour cases and issues have been hemorrhaging financial resources from the City of Harare. (This has been) through payment of salaries and allowances (fuel, data and holiday) for senior management workers on suspension who are not offering any service to the local authority.

Former Human Capital Director Cainos Chingombe and Finance Director Tendai Kwenda were suspended in 2017. Meanwhile, Director of Works Zvenyika Chawatama was also suspended with full benefits in 2021. He was accused of masquerading as the Town Clerk. However, the actual Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango was also suspended over abuse of office charges. Chsango appeared in court on charges of criminal abuse of duty after allegedly firing a subordinate to cover up investigations on illegal land deals, and has since been exonerated of the cases. Also suspended were Director of Housing Addmore Nhekairo and Town Planner Samuel Nyabezi. The suspension of these Directors meant that Harare had only one substantive Director, Prosper Chonzi.

The suspensions had to appoint temporary officials, which meant that it was paying twice for a single position. ^[3]