The Sunday News
Fairness Moyana in Hwange
HWANGE Local Board (HLB) has itself to blame for the refusal by Government to approve its 2024 budget after ignoring repeated calls to carry out audits and improve on accountability, residents have said.
In a statement, Local Government and Public Works Minister Cde Winston Chitando said the local authority together with Harare City Council had their budgets rejected for failing to comply with regulations and guidelines that were meant to improve service delivery.
“Two local authorities — Hwange Local Board and Harare City Council — have had their budgets rejected outright, whilst the majority of local authorities have had budgets approved subject to a number of issues being addressed,” said Minister Chitando.
Of the 92 local authorities nationwide, that submitted their 2024 budgets to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works only Hwange Local Board and Harare City Council were rejected.
HLB budget was rejected for failure to produce financial statements from 2020 to 2022, in contravention of the Public Finance Management Act. The Act stipulates that all local authorities must be audited by 31 May annually.
However, according to Greater Whange Resident Trust (GWRT) the local authority refused to heed residents’ demands to make the audit reports public despite repeated pressure as part of accountability.
“As Greater Whange Residents Trust we had been demanding that HLB makes audit report public and we even wrote several letters. However, despite all our efforts and demands to have HLB accountable the authority gave us excuses that included one that Government auditors were demanding a lot of money for an audit to be carried out.
“We hope this time around they will have their financial books audited in line with the Public Finance Act,” said GWRT co-ordinator, Mr Fidelis Chima.
Residents who spoke to Sunday News welcomed the move by Government arguing that this would compel the council to avail audited financial reports as part of enhancing transparency and accountability of ratepayers’ money.
“Budgeting is key in the provision of service delivery and promotion of accountability in local governance, with all local authorities in Zimbabwe being required to adhere to these standards by terms of the Urban Councils Act.
Residents’ participation in the budget making process is as important as its implementation. Unfortunately, there is always limited participation as a result of poorly advertised meetings and citizen apathy which often leads to exclusion of residents’ input. As a result of a non-inclusive approach the process always appear to be a rubber-stamping exercise,” said Mr Edward Ndlovu.
Another resident, Mrs Emelia Ncube lamented the lack of transparency and accountability.
“The refusal by Government to approve the budget exposes HLB. It is common knowledge that the HLB has not been audited for some time now, something that we agonise over as to the how council conducts its financial monitoring and evaluation exercises. This should serve as a wake-up call that they need to put their house in order.”
The local authority has over the years been at loggerheads with residents over its conduct of budget consultations with the latter threatening to reject proposals arguing that there are not extensive and inclusive during the formulation and implementation cycle.
The residents also want council to avail audited financial reports as part of enhancing transparency and accountability of ratepayers’ money.
Cde Chitando also noted that Hwange was failing to comply with the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and did not have a clear plan to cover numerous vacant positions within council.
