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Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Harare City Council has been prejudiced of more than $200 000 in fees following its failure to issue a certificate of occupation to Joina City, even the multi-storey building already has tenants.

According to the Systems Review Audit of building plans carried out by internal auditor Mr Joseph Issa, several properties in Harare were not issued with such certificates, depriving the financially-hamstrung council of thousands of dollars.

The audit was targeted at building plans processed between June 2015 and June 2016 for Marlborough, Mabelreign, Mount Pleasant, Greendale, Highlands and the central business district.

“The audit revealed that certificates of occupation were not being issued to several properties in Harare, resulting in the loss of substantial revenue,” reads the report. “The city had lost a sum of $210 000 in fees through failure to issue a certificate of occupation to a prominent building despite occupation of that building.

“Audit also discovered that plan fees for Marlborough District were not posted on the correct Building Inspectorate Vote and Item, resulting in the understatement of revenue in the relevant control account.”

The report was recently presented to the city’s Audit Committee, which recommended that all building plan fees be paid for before plans are transmitted for assessment and subsequent approval in terms of Building Inspectorate By- Laws.

The committee also resolved that the misallocation of $3 522 be transferred to the Building Plan fees account and that director of works Engineer Phillip Pfukwa ensures that all properties in the city have certificates of occupation.

Eng Pfukwa, together with finance director Mr Tendai Kwenda, were also told to ensure that Joina City paid relevant assessment and building plan fees.

A lack of proper records and sound billboard administration forced to the city to write off more than $2 million last year.

The city’s collapsed Department of Urban Planning Services failed to register most of the advertising billboards and this was only revealed when Alliance Media (Pvt) Ltd and the city carried out an audit.