Zimbabwe’s acting Auditor General, Mrs Rhea Kujinga, has revealed shocking levels of corruption and mismanagement in the country’s local authorities in her 2022 audit report. The report, tabled in Parliament last week, found that most local authorities failed to comply with accounting standards, laws, and regulations and used public funds for personal gain.
According to the report, some local authorities misused their devolution funds, which are meant to improve service delivery and infrastructure development in their areas. For example, Bindura Municipality received $ 34.2 million in devolution funds but spent $ 7.7 million on salaries and $ 19.2 million on investments, neglecting development projects. Gokwe Town Council received $ 7.3 million but could not provide evidence of how the money was used or what projects were implemented.
The report also exposed poor governance and lack of transparency in local authorities, as some received disclaimer opinions, meaning they could not prove how they used public funds. Among the worst offenders were the Harare City Council, Hwange Local Board, Kusile Rural District Council, Mazowe Rural District Council, Mutasa Rural District Council, and Nyaminyami Rural District Council.
Mrs. Kujinga said that the lack of accountability and oversight in local authorities compromised service delivery to the public and eroded public trust. She cited cases of overpricing of goods and services by contractors, weak internal controls in revenue collection and debt recovery, poor procurement management systems, and non-compliance with procurement laws and regulations by local authorities.
She also highlighted poor service delivery in sectors such as health, water and sanitation, roads, and education. She said that some residents in Victoria Falls lost property due to flooding due to poor drainage systems. She also said that the existing infrastructure of local authorities was lagging behind in meeting the growing demand for services.
The audit report comes at a time when Zimbabwe is facing a deepening economic crisis, exacerbated by the effects of climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic. The country has been struggling to provide basic services such as water, electricity, health care, and education to its citizens. The government has been implementing a devolution policy since 2018 as part of its reform agenda and in line with the 2013 Constitution. The policy aims to empower provinces and local authorities to plan and implement their own development programs using their own resources.
However, the audit report shows devolution has not yielded the desired results due to corruption and mismanagement in local authorities. The report has sparked outrage among civil society groups and citizens who have called for urgent action to hold the culprits accountable and recover the stolen funds. Some have also called for electoral reforms to ensure free and fair local government elections in 2023.
The government has not yet responded to the audit report or indicated what measures it will take to address the issues raised. However, some analysts have expressed hope that the report will serve as a wake-up call for the government and local authorities to improve their governance systems and service delivery mechanisms. They have also urged the public to demand accountability and transparency from their elected representatives and participate actively in local development processes.
Source: The Herald
