By Own Correspondent| Harare City Council has released the names of some of its staff who allegedly tried to swindle donor funding by inflating prices of goods meant for fighting the cholera outbreak.

Cholera has since claimed 30 lives while over 4 000 suspected cholera cases were recorded since the disease outbreak on September 6 2018.

The council officials allegedly inflated the prices of goods and services which were supposed to be used in the fight against cholera to extortionate levels.

Some of the officials who have been suspended include:

1. Philemon Rwafa – Procurement & Stores Officer
2. Smart Mhuka – Buyer
3. Tawanda Marange – Cadex Clerk
4. Tafadzwa Reza – Buyer

Entrepreneur and founder of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, Strive Masiyiwa initially raised the alarm on Monday afternoon when he wrote:

“One of the saddest things that happened last week when Econet announced that it had set aside $10m to help with support to buy medicines and materials, was the number of suppliers, and even officials in some of the affected municipalities who tried to defraud our company by offering things at highly inflated prices!
Gloves worth $3, were suddenly worth $65! That is just so pathetic!

I have told my people to prepare lists of anyone who willfully tries to exploit the situation. After this crisis is over we will go after them on this platform. Naming and shaming them.”

The City of Harare responded by suspending some of the people who were allegedly involved.

Said the City of Harare in a statement:

“Harare Acting Town Clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango this morning suspended some officials suspected of inflating prices for goods and services to be used in the fight against cholera.

Engineer Chisango has since informed Mayor Councilor Herbert Gomba and relevant stakeholders.”