Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume, has promised decisive action over delays in procuring an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system crucial for billing ratepayers. He accused certain council officials of colluding with Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) representatives to exploit the disorderly billing system for personal gain.
Speaking at an extraordinary full council meeting in the capital, Mafume expressed suspicions of a clandestine arrangement between the council and Praz to hinder the implementation of the ERP system. He vowed to address these concerns directly with Praz officials.
ALSO READ: Potraz Welcomes Starlink’s Intent to Operate in Zimbabwe
“There’s something suspicious about our ERP situation. We suspect collusion between the council and Praz, aimed at preventing the establishment of a functional billing system. We’ve been without an ERP for six years now, and heads will roll,” Mafume asserted.
Last January, the Ministry of Local Government voiced dismay over the municipality’s persistent failure to rectify its billing system issues. Former Local Government Minister, July Moyo, had encouraged municipalities to consider adopting digital systems developed by the Harare Institute of Technology to streamline billing processes.
It came to light last year that certain council officials had orchestrated overseas trips to South Africa and China, purportedly to study the ERP system but allegedly with intentions to earn foreign currency clandestinely.
