The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Municipal Reporter
A STORM is brewing in the Bulawayo City Council after it emerged that four of its top directors could have defrauded the local authority of over $100 000 after they allegedly forced the Finance Department to encash their leave days after which they demanded that the same leave days they have been paid for be used to offset their vehicle loan balances.
The directors at the eye of the storm include the Chamber Secretary, Mrs Sikhangele Zhou, Engineering Director; Engineer Simela Dube, Finance Director; Mr Kimpton Ndimande and the Human Resources Manager, Mr Makhosi Tshalebwa.
According to a council confidential report from 1 February 2017, the four directors were owed a combined figure of $101 644 in leave days with Mrs Zhou’s days calculated at $21 147; Mr Ndimande, $26 055; Eng Dube, $24 362 and Mr Tshalebwa, $30 080.
The scam was exposed after junior staffers wrote a tip-off document to the council’s audit committee revealing the anomaly.
“You are kindly alerted that there is an allegation to the effect that four senior council officials who had applied to encash their vacation leave days in January 2017 went on to violate procedures by enjoying the benefits prior to authentic authorisation by appropriate council resolution. The four members of staff benefitted prematurely and unfairly too, to the prejudice of council.
The deed could be viewed as criminal abuse of office,” reads part of the report
The directors are alleged to have tried to cover their tracks by making an application for the same leave days to be used to write off their vehicle loan balances. The Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, however, exonerated the directors saying the issue was caused by miscommunication within council. He said the finance department erroneously transferred the money to the directors but when this was realised he immediately ordered a deduction of the money to reimburse council.
“I think this whole matter stems from miscommunication. What happened is that when I started working for council, I found these directors having accumulated quite a number of leave days. I then negotiated with them knowing very well that if we go to court, council was going to lose the case and we would have to reimburse them financially. We then had a council resolution that the directors won’t get cash. Instead, their vehicle loans will be written off using their leave days but for some reason, the finance department transferred monies into their accounts. When this was discovered, I ordered the department to rectify the matter and recover the money,” said Mr Dube.
“When I first got this tip off document I met the Mayor (Councillor Martin Moyo) and I explained to him what transpired. We realised that since the money was reimbursed there was no need to institute investigations. It was simply a matter of miscommunication,” said the town clerk.
The junior staffers maintained that had this matter been committed by staff at the lower levels in council, it would have warranted prompt investigation by the internal audit section leading to possible punishment or even arrest of the alleged perpetrators.
“In the committee’s opinion should the matter warrant the suspension of the four in order to facilitate smooth investigations without hindrance or interference from the implicated top managers, the town clerk may have to be consulted in order to achieve the task within the stipulated period of 14 days. Subject to your approval, kindly proceed and institute investigations in terms of Section 98 of the Urban Councils Act,” reads part of the report.
Contacted for comment the chairperson of the audit committee, Councillor Rodney Jele confirmed receiving the report revealing that he had since forwarded the matter to the town clerk who was then expected to instruct the audit section to institute the necessary investigations.
“Yes, I am aware of that matter, I forwarded the report to the town clerk so that he forwards it to the audit section, we are now waiting for a full report from him,” said Clr Jele.
However, council sources revealed that there was reluctance within council to institute investigations as it was widely known that the four directors were guilty hence the move to sweep the matter under the carpet.
“There was an attempt by the officials to reimburse the money but it was a little too late because the issue was now out in the open, everyone is now waiting to see how Mr Dube will handle this one,” said the source.
