HARARE
–
Karoi
Town
Council
ordered
84
safety
harnesses
and
an
extension
step
ladder
but
the
supplier
delivered
bond
paper
of
far
lesser
value
to
“cover
up
the
misappropriation,”
parliament
heard
on
Tuesday.
The
revelation
was
made
as
the
local
authority’s
audited
2020
accounts
were
presented
in
parliament.
The
Parliamentary
Portfolio
Committee
on
Public
Accounts
flagged
the
transaction
and
recommended
prosecutions.
“The
council
procured
an
extension
ladder
and
84
safety
harnesses
for
US$1,100
on
November
29,
2018.
However,
the
items
were
never
delivered.
Instead,
the
supplier
delivered
48
reams
of
bond
paper
on
April
8,
2019,
citing
a
lack
of
capacity
to
supply
the
original
items,”
a
report
by
the
committee
stated.
The
committee
noted
there
was
no
documentation
authorising
the
substitution
or
accounting
for
the
cost
discrepancy.
“The
cost
of
the
bond
paper
does
not
match
the
US$1,100
paid.
The
committee
believes
the
arrangement
was
likely
a
cover-up
for
misappropriation,”
the
report
added.
It
recommended
the
matter
be
referred
to
the
Zimbabwe
Anti-Corruption
Commission
(ZACC)
for
investigation
by
June
30,
2025.
Commenting
on
the
matter,
Mashonaland
West
MP
Mutsa
Murombedzi
(CCC)
said:
“This
is
not
just
an
accounting
error
but
this
is
theft,
and
let
us
name
it
as
such.”
The
report
also
highlighted
the
non-delivery
of
a
refuse
truck
purchased
from
Solution
Motors.
The
company,
the
committee
noted,
has
a
history
of
failing
to
deliver
vehicles
after
receiving
payment
from
public
institutions.
As
a
result,
it
recommended
Solution
Motors
and
any
of
its
rebranded
entities
be
permanently
blacklisted
from
supplying
vehicles
to
government
entities.
The
committee
also
found
that
Karoi
council
operates
a
beerhall
on
a
cash-basis
with
no
tills,
no
banking
and
no
records.