In an embarrassing case for the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) suspended Harare Town Clerk Hosea Abraham Chisango has found himself at the center of allegations of judicial favoritism.
Chisango’s cases have consistently been assigned to the same judge, Justice Pisirai Kwenda, and prosecutor, Lovemore Mabhaudhi and goes scott free, raising eyebrows among legal observers and Harare Ratepayers.
In 2023, Chisango stood trial in the High Court alongside former Mayor Herbert Gomba, Chamber Secretary Charles Kandemiri, and Finance Director Stanley Ndemera. Kandemiri and Ndemera were sentenced to effective six year jail term. However, despite overwhelming evidence of Chisango’s personal financial gain in the corrupt sale of the Mount Pleasant Sports Club, Chisango was acquitted by Justice Kwenda.
Prosecutor Mabhaudhi’s handling of the case was questioned as he chose to ignore that Chisango as the Town Clerk is the Local Authority’s accounting officer and key decision maker.
Last year Chisango was unsurprisingly arrested again, this time for allegedly awarding a $9.2 million street lighting contract to a disqualified company, Juluka Holdings. While his co-accused busineseman, Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu were denied bail, Chisango’s case was once again engineered by the JSC officials to go before Justice Kwenda and Prosecutor Mabhaudhi. As expected Chisango was granted bail with lenient conditions, allowing him to return to work and potentially interfere with state witnesses and council records. Had it not been for Mayor Jacob Mafume’s efforts, he would have been at work rest assured of acquittal.
The repeated assignment of Chisango’s cases to the same judge and prosecutor has raised concerns about the impartiality of the justice system. Allegations have surfaced that Prosecutor Mabhaudhi has business ties with Chisango’s first wife, further fueling suspicions of a compromised judiciary.
Sources within the Judiciary have alleged that Chisango’s case may never proceed, and Harare Residents should forget about transparency and a fair trial.
“We all know of the obvious and brazen judicial favoritism and compromised relationships between the judge, the prosecutor, and Chisango but we cannot investigate it as it seems to be coming from the top. The integrity of the justice system depends on a thorough investigation of such issues but we are too junior to act” noted a Judicial source attached to the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission.