The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube Municipal Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council is considering suing the Affirmative Action Group (AAG) after an internal audit revealed that allegations of corruption which the pressure group had levelled against the local authority were false. The two organisations have since late last year been at each other’s throats with AAG even approaching the High
Court of Zimbabwe and imploring Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Cde Saviour Kasukuwere to dissolve the local authority.
In the pressure group’s founding affidavit they alleged the local authority had tenders worth more than $8 million that had serious irregularities due to massive corruption, nepotism, negligence and collusion of senior council officials. This led to the council instigating an internal audit.
A council confidential report seen by Sunday News, detailing the results of the audit showed that the council concluded that all the allegations were false hence the need to sue AAG.
“From the foregoing it is clear that the allegation by AAG is malicious, without foundation and will have the net effect of tarnishing the reputation of council officials and council as a whole. Audit investigations have revealed quite clearly that all allegations by AAG are a complete fabrication and are without basis or foundation whatsoever.
“Audit is of the view that if there are no consequences for such spurious, unjustified, malicious and reckless allegations, council will continuously find itself in a state of flux that is clearly not in the interest of council and residents of Bulawayo. Consequently, audit recommends that council’s legal section explore what recourse is open to council in the light of such relentless attacks from groups such as AAG,” reads the report.
However, AAG dismissed the purported audit by the local authority, daring the council to instigate an external audit rather than an internal audit. AAG Matabeleland regional president Mr Reginald Shoko said the internal audit findings were null and void as it was impossible for the “junior” audit officials to investigate seniors who were implicated in the alleged corruption cases.
“This is just window dressing, a smoke screen which won’t fool us at all because for starters how can you expect these junior officials to come up with a ruling against their seniors. If these people are as clean as they claim then why don’t they have the guts of calling for an external audit? As AAG we won’t rest until they have put their house in order and further regard this internal audit as null and void,” said Mr Shoko.
AAG also issued the city’s Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo an ultimatum to explain a number of tender allegations levelled against the local authority, including the acquisition of a 3,5 hectares piece of land by the city’s Deputy Mayor, Clr Gift Banda, for $130 000 for the construction of town houses for middle and high income earners.
According to the council report, areas which the investigating team focused on included allegations that the local authority had expended $5 million in purchasing plant and equipment that it had itself decommissioned on account that that it was obsolete.
AAG further alleged that not all the items that had been ordered had been delivered.
“Also without giving a specific example, the group alleged that council was operating without a system of internal checks and balances. Their fourth allegation was that council had refused to connect Mbundane Township with water citing lack of capacity.
“On the fifth and last allegations, the group claimed that, after declining to connect Mbundane suburb, council officials, who operated unlimited beverage accounts in Delta Corporation, had proceeded to connect the Delta Beverages plant at Fairbridge,” reads part of the report.
In the first allegation of purchasing obsolete equipment the investigating team came up with a list of all plant and equipment auctioned since 2009, compared with the newly acquired plant to ascertain whether it was the same that had been bought off council, refurbished and sold back to council.
“The description of the plant and machinery and chassis numbers of the auctioned and newly acquired plant and machinery were matched and found to be totally different from each other. A physical inspection of new plant and machinery discounted the possibility that the new plant could remotely let alone be the same equipment that council had auctioned since 2009.
“AAG was presented with an opportunity to buttress their allegations and provide irrefutable evidence proving their allegations to be true but regrettably failed dismally to do, stating that the information could be relayed to their major suspects. From the investigations it is clear that the allegations by AAG are malicious, unfounded and a complete fabrication,” reads the report.
On the third allegations where AAG suggested that Habek Enterprises had applied to council to have Mbundane Township connected to BCC’s water reticulation system, an application which BCC had allegedly turned down, it was noted that this was a move by either the developer or AAG to circumvent council procedures.
“Council should vigorously resist any attempt by the developer or AAG to circumvent council procedure in relation to the connection of Mbundane to council water reticulation system and insist that this or any other developer comply with BCC requirements. Also council should punish any developer or individual who tempers with its infrastructure to effect any connection to council or for any reason at all,” reads the report.
It was further noted that the developer failed or simply refused to comply with council’s requirements and further, after being given a window by BCC, the developer went on to illegally connect the suburb to the city’s water mains.
On the allegations that some council officials, who operated unlimited beverage accounts in Delta Corporation, had influenced the company’s Fairbridge plant being connected to the city’s sewer system, the investigation discovered that no senior official had liquor accounts with Delta Beverages as alleged by AAG.
It was further noted that while the cost of the project was borne on Delta, the outfall sewer would provide easy link to Killarney East which is earmarked for densification with 450 stands and further the unlocking of development of 650 stands at the envisaged Mahatshula East project.
