adminDebating during the last full council meeting for the year on Wednesday evening in the council chambers, councillors said there was need to change auditors from time to time.
“We have been using them (Earnst and Young) to a point where they now know us in and out and even our weakness and in that regard I think we should consider having someone different and see what happens,” said Deputy Mayor Clr Amen Mpofu.
He said it was important for council to change auditors so that it can compare services.
“We all know what happened to some institutions who stuck to a single auditor for years and years, where are they now? So as a council we should try working with a different auditors so that we can compare services,” said Clr Mpofu.
He said there was nothing wrong with rotating external auditors.
“Maybe if we bring someone new there would be a difference in our financial results, this is not to say we are not satisfied with the services we have been getting from Earnst and Young, that is why we have been working with them for the past seven years,” said Clr Mpofu.
Ward 21 Clr Reuben Matengu said there was a need for the city council to consider contracting other auditing companies for the purposes of comparing costs.
“I suggest we get another company which is different from Earnst and Young, maybe we can get different results.
Ward 6 councillor Jennifer Bent supported the Deputy Mayor, saying it would be wise to have a different company as the local authority’s external auditor.
The Mayor, Clr Thaba Moyo, however said since Earnst and Young (Zimbabwe) Chartered Accountants had a one year contract with the local authority at the moment, they would consider adopting the motion to rotate their external auditors in the second quarter of 2012.
“Since we have a contract with them for now, this issue can be taken up next year, not now,” said Clr Moyo.
derick.khumalo