Harare mayor berates ‘incompetent’ IT manager for failing to automate council systems
Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume
The mayor took opportunity of a recent full council meeting at Town House to lambast Mugobogobo and the entire IT department, describing it as “the worst” and responsible for failure to get its 2024 budget approved by the ministry.
“My brother, this idea of not returning my calls when l call you will get you into problems very soon. I have been calling you for the past two days.
“You are sitting on a thing (ERP) that has prevented us from getting a budget, and you don’t return my calls.
“You think we come here to joke? You think its not embarrassing that you are the head of IT and we don’t have Internet at buildings, we don’t have emails, you are running the worst department and you don’t return my calls?” charged Mafume.
Absence of the ERP system has resulted in errant council officials fleecing the local authority while communication with the customers is problematic.
“You have caused us immense damage as a council with your department. Our billing is in shambles, we cannot communicate with customers something that a university does on a cellphone.
“I want to know where we are with this thing. l don’t want these briefings, there must be a start date when we are starting. When is the ERP getting in?
“We are getting defamed because your department gave us false recommendations you are not finishing the negotiations you are doing nothing and you don’t return my calls what’s your problem.
“We want to be briefed on what is happening with our ERP and you don’t return my calls, you disappear from meetings.”
Mugobogobo failed to explain in detail when the ERP system was going to be ready for council to start functioning well.
Mafume gave him an ultimatum of 24 hours to get the contract of the ERP system required.
“Can these things go in the next 24 hours?” asked Mafume.
Mugobogobo who seemed lost the time the mayor was asking replied saying, “The instructions for?”
Mafume said the local authority needs to normalise operations within a 50-day timeline.
Two months ago, 23 council staff from the finance department were suspended over the matter, which auditors flagged as opening floodgates for financial leakages.
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