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Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter—
A State-ordered audit into the operations of Murehwa Rural District Council has exposed shocking lack of accountability, infringement of procedures and the employment of under-qualified people in strategic positions. The audit followed a series of stories in the media implicating senior officials at the RDC in questionable activities. Among other things, the report exposed fake qualifications by the chief executive officer who at one point drew a double salary from council in 2010. A detailed report on the murky dealings at Murehwa RDC was submitted to the then Mashonaland East provincial administrator Mr Cuthbert Ndarukwa on June 3, 2016.

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The audit report revealed that Mr Alois Musakanda Gurajena, who was the acting Murehwa RDC chief executive officer in 2010, also served as executive officer (health). Part of his salary came from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The report said Mr Gurajena also got the full salary of a chief executive officer, instead of an acting allowance only. After the anomaly was picked up by the finance committee, the then acting CEO (now substantive), admitted the irregularity and promised to pay back the money after encashing accrued leave days.

The audit said it was not clear whether the encashed leave days would be sufficient to offset the unspecified prejudice to council. It also emerged that the CEO was the holder of an academic doctorate that is not recognised by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education. It was attained from Calvary University, Kansas City in the US.

Other senior council executives are reportedly pursuing degrees with the same institution. The audit also exposed three employees in the accounts department without accounting qualifications.

It said Mr Edwin Chinyere, who is serving as the revenue clerk, passed only one subject at Ordinary Level and his only professional qualification was an elementary intermediate (Pitman typing).

Other unqualified personnel were Ms Eureta Wahloka (cashier) who reportedly does not have a professional qualification or an Ordinary Level pass, and Mr Chamunorwa Chipendo (debt collector) who has three Ordinary Level passes but no professional qualification. The audit exposed murky allocation of stands to members of staff and their spouses.

“Council stand allocation was not clear on the following – allocation of three stands to managerial staff and councillors at Murehwa and Macheke growth pints, allocation of two stands to non-managerial staff in Murehwa and Macheke, allocation of stands to councillors and allocation of stands to both wife and husband.”

Although the RDC indicated it had rationalised salaries of its top executives, the audit revealed that senior executives were still getting huge allowances. Allowances paid to executives included refreshments, school fees, cellphone and private mileage allowances.

“The total packages being given were far above the salaries stated in the Ministerial letter dated October 8, 2014 which clearly states that the CEO’s all-inclusive total package should not exceed $1 900 and that the value of allowances and other benefits must not exceed 40 percent of the total package,” reads part of the report.

The audit report notes: “There was no tender box at Murehwa RDC and tender bids were being received by the CEO’s secretary, locked in a safe in the CEO’s office and the CEO was the custodian of the safe keys.”

The audit report also revealed council bought an old and defective 1994 motorised grader for $184 753 from Mr John Matare and Blessing Nyoni of Sunningdale in Harare against a full council resolution that they should buy a new one.

Out of the six capital projects undertaken by the council since 2010, the audit team was only furnished with tender documents for two projects.

Evidence gathered showed that, of the six projects, two were undertaken without following proper adjudication and tendering procedures. At least 24 documents requested by the audit team to investigate possible malpractices were not availed and in that case, the audit team did not rule out concealment of information.

In another case, the council lied that it had allocated a stand for the construction of a youth vocational training centre. It later turned out that the information was false and that the stand in question had been sold to a Mr Mahupete who paid for it using a Nissan Navara that needed repairs.

“The transaction was later reversed at the instruction of the provincial administrator who regarded the transaction as illegal since the repairs were not sanctioned by a council resolution.”