Online Reporter
Vusumuzi Dube, Deputy Radar Editor
A City of Bulawayo employee is facing renewed disciplinary action after an internal audit recommended the reopening of a misconduct case in which he allegedly accepted a US$50 bribe to illegally reconnect water supplies to a property that still owed the local authority thousands of dollars in unpaid rates.
The employee, Mr Munyori Zhou of the Water Cut-off Section in the Financial Services Department, is accused of improperly reconnecting water at property number 5A Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street after allegedly receiving money from a tenant employee.
According to the council’s Internal Audit and Risk Management report, investigators established that disciplinary proceedings against Mr Zhou had been initiated but were never concluded.
“The allegation was that Mr Zhou had been filmed accepting a bribe to reconnect water at property number 5A, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street, Bulawayo, and that the disciplinary matter had not been properly concluded,” reads the audit report.
The investigation revealed that Mr Zhou disconnected water supplies at the property on September 3, 2024, over an outstanding debt of US$2 910. However, auditors found that he failed to record the meter reading as required by council procedures.
The following day, he allegedly contacted tenants using his personal cellphone and made two visits to the property in a council vehicle without authorisation from his supervisor.
Audit findings indicate that the property was later reconnected despite not appearing in the official reconnection register and without any formal instruction authorising the restoration of water services.
At the time of the alleged reconnection, the property still owed the city US$2 438.
Investigators also recorded allegations that a tenant employee handed Mr Zhou US$50.
“Charmaine Chihanga disclosed through a phone call made to her on 13 November 2025 that she had handed Mr Munyori Zhou US$50. She further stated that she gave him the money after being instructed to do so by her employers,” the report states.
However, auditors noted that they were unable to obtain a written statement from the witness or secure corroborating evidence regarding the alleged payment.
Despite this, the audit concluded that there was sufficient evidence of procedural misconduct.
“Mr Munyori Zhou did not record the meter reading on the day of disconnection, later he unofficially communicated with the premises tenants, drove twice to the property without authority or instruction of his supervisor, and unprocedurally reconnected the water supplies,” reads the report.
The audit further found that disciplinary proceedings launched against Mr Zhou stalled before plea stage and were never resumed.
“Mr Munyori Zhou’s disciplinary proceedings were adjourned to allow the prosecutor to amend the charges, but never resumed for unknown reasons,” the report says.
Investigators questioned how the matter was allowed to remain unresolved, warning that it exposed weaknesses in council’s internal accountability systems.
“Our investigation concluded that while disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against Mr Munyori Zhou, the matter was adjourned before plea for amendment of charges, but for unknown reasons it never resumed,” the audit noted.
The Internal Audit and Risk Management Department has recommended that disciplinary proceedings be revived and concluded in accordance with council regulations.
“Mr Munyori Zhou’s disciplinary proceedings should resume and the case be procedurally concluded,” the report recommended.
Councillors adopted the recommendations, stressing the need to protect council revenue, enforce discipline and maintain public confidence in the city’s administration.
