Kasukuwere to present audit report

Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter—
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere is today expected to present the findings of an audit of Harare City Council books to councillors. Councillors had already acted on the report before it was officially presented. The councillors, who got sight of the report before it was presented, used its findings to suspend acting town clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube and human capital director Dr Cainos Chingombe.

This was after the audit indicated that over 40 council officials continued to earn obscene salaries in defiance of a Government directive setting ceiling for the highest paid employee at $10 450.

Minister Kasukuwere reversed council’s decision to suspend Mrs Ncube and Dr Chingombe saying the city fathers had jumped the gun. Minister Kasukuwere also noted that the pair’s suspension disrupted work at Town House.

According to the audit report, city executives continued to earn between $12 000 and $21 000 from October 2014 to June 2015. It also showed that the executives awarded themselves over $60 000 each in holiday allowances.

This happened as city workers have gone for over five months without pa. The city is also failing to provide residents with basic services. According to the audit, the executives shared more than $170 000 in unsanctioned allowances.

Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni yesterday confirmed that councillors had been summoned to a meeting. “I can confirm that councillors were summoned for a meeting with the minister on Monday (today),” he said.

He could not share more details on the meeting. It is also not clear what action Minister Kasukuwere would take after presenting the audit findings.