Online Reporter
Emmanuel Kafe-Checkpoint Desk
A DAMNING internal audit at Chitungwiza Municipality has lifted a lid on massive fuel mismanagement, fraud and possible collusion among officials, with more than 92 000 litres of diesel worth US$138 000 not accounted for.
The audit report, presented to the Audit Committee for June and July 2025, paints a picture of systemic failure in the handling of fuel allocations at the municipal workshop pump station.
“On the analysis done by audit,” the investigators wrote, “internal audit observed that a total of 92 358 litres of diesel for the period January 1, 2025 up to May 30, 2025 for a total value of US$138 537 was not accounted for.”
Auditors ruled out mechanical fault or leakage as a possible explanation.
“The tanks are not leaking,” the report stressed, noting that test checks on balances and dispensing equipment showed only “minimum variance . . . as a result of estimates on the dipping stick”.
Instead, the problem was traced to weak controls and deliberate fraud.
“The fuel reconciliation results done at the stores are either not communicated to management or management is not making use of the reconciliations, as the fuel received does not tally with fuel issued out,” auditors found.
They also indicated that “the fuel dispenser is functional, but the bulk meter is not, hence the fuel that is pumped out of the tank cannot be quantified using the bulk meter, and council is using the dipping, which does not tally with the issues as per stores record.”
Fraud
One glaring case involved a council driver, identified as A. Mawire (EC number 756), who was found to have “swindled the local authority 2 660 litres costing US$3 990”.
“The driver would fill in the fuel request form and the form will be duly authorised as per procedure, then a coupon is issued to him for fuel withdrawal at the workshop.”
However, the coupons were later altered.
“Upon presentation of a coupon to the fuel attendant at the workshop, the coupon would have been altered to read a higher figure than the figure that has been duly authorised . . . the driver was then given 40 litres, which is 30 litres more than what was requested.”
Such scenarios were allegedly repeated over months.
“From January to May 2025, a total of 2 660 litres of diesel was withdrawn without authority for personal gain,” the auditors concluded.
Mawire “verbally consented to the findings during an interview with audit on July 15, 2025”.
He, however, reportedly failed to submit a written report, despite several reminders.
Another case involved fuel claims for a non-functional generator at St Mary’s Clinic.
“Indeed, for the dates mentioned, that is 2, 4 and 6 June 2025, Mr M. Matsikidze claimed 180 litres of fuel valued at US$270 purportedly being for use of St Mary’s generator,” observed the audit. However, investigators established that the generator was not functional.
When confronted, Matsikidze admitted the claim but argued that “he used the fuel to top up for the head office generator, which was consuming more fuel due to its deplorable state”.
But Chitungwiza’s acting director of works (who is not named in the audit) “refuted the claim about the issue”.
“No proof could be handed over to audit that shows fuel was then used at head office, unless proved otherwise.”
Governance
The report also highlighted dangerous governance weaknesses, pointing out that “there is no cohesion between departments that manage the council fleet (Engineering Department) and the Finance Department that fuel the council fleet”.
This gap, auditors warned, “has led to cases where fleet that is under the workshop due to non-functioning being fraudulently claimed fuel for and the fuel being issued to such fleet . . . the case in point is fleet 427, a generator at St Mary’s Clinic, which is non-functional but had fuel fraudulently claimed and issued to it.”
The audit also observed that “the fuel tank main hole is not secured” and warned that this “may result in fuel syphoning”.
In response, senior officials in the Finance Department did not dispute the findings.
“The finance director, the management accountant and the assistant finance director revenue concurred with the audit findings and assured audit that corrective action will be taken,” the report states.
Auditors have since recommended urgent interventions, including repairing the bulk meter at the pump station, reshuffling staff at the fuel depot, recalibrating tanks, securing the tank manhole and installing an electronic fuel monitoring system on operational vehicles as once recommended
Residents claim the improprieties at Chitungwiza Municipality are contributing to poor service delivery.
“We are constantly told there is no fuel for refuse trucks, no fuel for ambulances, but thousands of litres are being looted,” said a resident of Zengeza 2, who elected to remain anonymous.
“This is why garbage is piling up in our streets and why clinics are struggling.
“It is painful to see corruption robbing us of basic services.”
Chitungwiza Municipality public relations officer Mr Tafadzwa Kachiko said the local authority has suspended officials implicated in the fuel scandal.
He confirmed that an “inquiry was immediately instituted to thoroughly investigate the matter”, adding that the council would be guided by its recommendations, including recovery measures.
“Those implicated have been suspended to allow investigations to proceed without interference,” he said. “Council is determined to ensure that any individual found guilty of fraud or misconduct faces the full consequences, in line with labour laws and criminal statutes.”
This is not the first time the local authority is being caught up in controversy. In 2020, an audit exposed council management’s extravagance, as “undeserving” managers were reportedly receiving two annual holiday trips to a regional destination of choice at the expense of ratepayers. In 2023, there were also reports that the municipality had collected US$13 million in pension fund contributions from its workers between 2009 and 2013, and failed to remit the money to the Unified Councils Pension Fund.
