Police have launched a manhunt for the self-appointed acting Harare town clerk Engineer Zvenyika Chawatama who evaded police arrest last week in a dramatic high speed chase along Simon Mazorodze and Chitungwiza roads in the capital.
Eng Chawatama is said to have appointed himself acting town clerk illegally and without authority and was making executive decisions with a bearing on council operations.
According to a letter dated December 8 last year, he was indeed appointed to act as town clerk, but for just three days while then acting town clerk Dr Prosper Chonzi was away on council business.
After the three days, Eng Chawatama refused to relinquish his acting position and continued to act as the town clerk, making the executive decisions.
This prompted the then acting mayor Councillor Luckson Mukunguma to write to Eng Chawatama on January 15, 2021 telling him that he was no longer the acting town clerk but the latter ignored the letter.
On January 18, Eng Chawatama, in total defiance of the letter he had received three days earlier, wrote to all heads of departments advising on the restructuring of council operations.
He signed the letter as the acting town clerk.
Clr Mukunguma then reported Eng Chawatama to the Special Anti-Corruption Unit for his illegal actions.
Clr Mukunguma said Eng Chawatama was also nullifying lawful decisions made by Eng Hosiah Chisango as the town clerk.
Police last week wanted to arrest Eng Chawatama at Town House but he eluded them after a high speed chase. Eng Chawatama, who is the city’s director of works, is now on the police wanted list, amid reports that he yesterday made an appearance at Town House. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the net was closing in on him.
“Police are still searching for Engineer Chawatama,” he said. “He is on the run. We want him to know that the net is closing in on him.”
Sources told The Herald that the police arrived at Town House on Friday to arrest Eng Chawatama who had tried to extend a three-day acting appointment early last month to a permanent posting to the Town Clerk’s Office. But he heard word of the police arrival and raced into the car park, jumped into a Nissan NP300 vehicle with a council logo and sped off. He sped off towards Mbudzi roundabout and escaped.