Harare, Zimbabwe | Simon Muzviyo, the controversial managing director of City Parking, is facing serious allegations of financial misconduct, including diverting company funds for personal projects and approving unviable foreign investments that have reportedly cost Harare City Council (HCC) an estimated US$4 million.
City Parking, which is tasked with managing parking facilities in Harare’s central business district (CBD), has come under scrutiny following revelations of gross mismanagement under Muzviyo’s leadership. Despite being tied to the council, Muzviyo has maintained that the company operates as a private entity and is therefore not subject to the oversight of the Public Finance Management Act.
During his testimony before the Justice Cheda Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating the operations of Harare City Council since 2017, Muzviyo admitted to authorizing a series of questionable foreign investments.
One such venture involved a joint agreement with a Ghanaian company in 2015, where City Parking acquired a 45% shareholding and invested in equipment, with expectations of reaping US$1 million in returns. However, the deal collapsed, resulting in significant financial losses for the council. Muzviyo acknowledged that he spent a month in Ghana on the company’s dime but failed to account for his daily allowances for accommodation, meals, and other expenses when questioned by evidence leader Thabani Mpofu.
Additionally, similar failed investments were initiated in South Africa and Zambia without proper due diligence. These ventures reportedly contributed to cumulative losses amounting to US$4 million.
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Concerns have also been raised about Muzviyo’s relationship with his second wife, Tsitsi Samapundo, who is said to have played a key role in shielding him from accountability. Samapundo, who manages the Business Development Unit (BDU) within HCC, oversees entities like City Parking, Harare Quarry, and Rufaro Marketing.
Sources allege that Samapundo ignored red flags, including the absence of proper parking accounts, a lack of written contracts, and the manipulation of transactions between ZWL and USD accounts. A former BDU employee commented:
“Muzviyo’s second wife [Samapundo] oversees critical business units, and her role in covering up anomalies like these makes her complicit. There was no accountability under her watch.”
Attempts to reach Samapundo for comment were unsuccessful, though it was reported that she tried to suppress media reports by sending proxies with threats and screenshots. Muzviyo was also unavailable for comment, with insiders claiming he is currently vacationing in the United Kingdom.
The unfolding scandal at City Parking has reignited concerns about systemic corruption within Harare City Council. Analysts say the alleged financial mismanagement and lack of oversight reflect deeper governance issues, undermining the council’s once-ambitious vision of transforming Harare into a world-class city by 2025.
City Parking’s operations have drawn criticism for their lack of transparency and accountability, which analysts say perpetuate a culture of impunity. Calls for an independent investigation into Muzviyo’s actions and the broader governance structure of HCC are growing louder.
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