Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
FOUR workers in Harare City Council’s water department forged certificates and worked as artisans for the municipality for years, an audit into employees’ qualifications has revealed. There are fears within council more employees might have forged certificates to get employment. The city’s Audit Division, which was requested by human capital director Dr Cainos Chingombe, to carry out the exercise is now set to extend the same investigation to artisans in other departments.

Councillors have since requested officials to send certificates for vetting by relevant institution before appointment of employees to various positions in council.

According to the recent minutes of the Audit Committee, audit manager Mr Joseph Issa told the committee that the investigation had revealed that four employees out of 112 skilled workers had forged their certificates. The affected employees were three plumbers/drain layers and boiler maker under the Harare Water Department.

The committee enquired whether the case had been reported to the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

Acting town clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube told councillors that the matter had not been reported but the four employees had since resigned from council service.

“The committee enquired whether it was possible to recover the money earned by the employees using forged certificates during their employment contract.”

“The acting chamber secretary (Mr Charles Kandemiri) reported that the issue required further research so that the decision would be made from an informed position. The committee noted that the Audit Division was in the process of extending the same investigation to artisans in other departments,” reads the minutes.

Council officials said the exercise could not be carried out due to cash flow constraints but the committee requested that the exercise be continued and extended to other departments. Following the discussion, the committee resolved that the former employees be reported to the police by Harare Water Department for possessing forged documents.

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