There is no end in sight to the drama at the City of Harare nearly two months after the commission of inquiry appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa completed public hearings.
The commission was set up in May last year to probe council financial affairs since 2017. The commission wrapped up its programme in February this year.
The latest in this soap opera is the cold war being waged behind the scenes that has seen some senior officials writing to commission chairperson Justice Maphios Cheda alleging intimidation by Harare mayor Jacob Mafume.
In response, Cheda sought comments from Mafume on the two employees' complaints whose evidence is the subject of the Harare City Council commission of inquiry.
There is no love lost between senior council officials and councillors, with the former alleging interference by the latter.
At public hearings, councillors and senior officials fired salvos at each other, exposing the rot at Town House.
Managers accused councillors of overstepping their boundaries, meddling in the day-to-day operations of the local authority.
Councillors accused managers of hiding key information necessary in restoring the glow to the once-sunshine city.
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While the commission is working on the findings and its recommendations, the ruling party is rubbing its hands in glee at the unexpected turn of events, having failed to win enough seats to control Town House for the past 25 years.
It has always wanted to control the capital. However, the electorate would have none of it, only according Zanu PF a stranglehold on rural councils and constituencies.
The governing party is, however, fancying its chances and has been rolling out plans to pull the strings from behind.
It abolished executive mayors and imposed a commission to run Harare affairs. When that failed, it resorted to suspending mayors.
It has also directed that the parent ministry should have a hand in the appointment of senior council officials.
Harare missed a golden opportunity after the parent ministry refused to sanction the appointment of banker James Mushore as town clerk. Then mayor Bernard Manyenyeni was suspended for “unprocedural” appointment of the banker.
The city fathers also accuse the ministry of frustrating its efforts by refusing to sanction the employment of casual workers to undertake seasonal jobs such as grass cutting and clearing blocked drains, which are blamed for flooding in high-density suburbs.
This comes at a time when devolution appears to have been shelved as central government appears to be preoccupied with wresting control of cities and towns from the opposition.
The problems facing Harare can only be resolved by the reintroduction of executive mayors in the spirit of devolution. This creates one centre of power not subject to the control of any government arm. Autonomy answers it all as it makes the incumbent responsible for their decisions.
This is not the opportunity to reintroduce a commission to run Harare which Zanu PF honchos are angling for.
History has shown that commissions have not improved the fortunes of Harare, they only succeeded in milking it dry.
