EDITORIAL COMMENT: Auditor-General has done her part | The Herald 21 October 2014
We commend the stance taken by the Auditor-General to reveal gross mismanagement and financial impropriety in State-owned companies and councils as a bold step to tame corruption.
However, we are concerned with Government’s laissez-faire approach to these serious matters. The importance of issues that have cost the Government money, overspending in some ministries, laxity in financial controls, bad investments by some State companies and flouting of procurement procedures, means action must be taken.
We have noted that most of the findings by the Auditor-General’s office are recurring issues and are of a similar nature. This shows that no corrective measures have been taken on previous findings.
In a recent audit reported by The Herald yesterday, the Auditor-General revealed that 18 ministries flouted governance and procurement rules leading to abuse of funds, State assets and diversion of resources to unauthorised uses.
This revelation is worrisome, not just because State funds are being abused at a time when Treasury is scrounging for funding for critical sectors and other social service obligations, but because this has become a recurring problem with no bold action taken to stem it out. It is evident from the reports that a few pockets are being lined at the expense of public service delivery. More importantly, lack of decisive action on the Auditor-General’s findings means that culprits always get away with inept behaviour. Lack of action on the findings by auditors, may be interpreted as silently condoning brazen acts of criminality and disregard for laid down procedures. The revelations should jolt Government into action.
From parastatals, councils to parent ministries, the Auditor-General has been critical of the state of affairs, which smacks of corruption and loss of public resources, draining Government of critical resources. What is lacking is decisive action by the Government to put a stop to the impermissible activities.
Without a clear course of action, the Auditor-General will continue to release reports, which no one is willing to follow up on. This cancer must be nipped in the bud.
The Auditor-General’s office presents its findings to Parliament and thereafter Parliament debates the report. Many questions need answers.
Is there any mechanism in place that should take action on irregularities unearthed by the Auditor-General? What should be done after the Auditor-General has highlighted the irregularities to Parliament? Is Parliament well informed about its critical role in ensuring that corrective action is taken against misnomers brought to its attention? There seems to be a serious disconnect between the Auditor-General’s office, Parliament, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, Prosecutor General’s office and Police to make perpetrators accountable for their actions.
These State organs should move in to ensure that the culprits are brought to book. Otherwise it would be business as usual despite the shocking revelations that the Auditor-General’s many reports have been highlighting over the years.
Again, it would be pointless for the Government to devote resources and manpower to the Auditor-General’s office if it does not act on the findings, which we believe present enough evidence to start prosecutions where necessary. It would seem that the other organs of State lack the appetite to move in.
Year in year out, the Auditor-General’s office has brought to light underhand dealings, inept management, mismanagement and outright theft of State funds, but we have not seen any arrests, commissions of enquiry on the issues raised nor have we seen action from the arresting and prosecuting authorities.
There must be some mechanism that obliges the anti-corruption body, the Prosecutor General and the police to act on the Auditor-General’s findings otherwise we will continue to witness efforts to rebuild the economy going to waste through these misdemeanours.
Where are the State organs that should take the matter up? Taxpayers will continue to fatten the pockets of the few misfits while service delivery continues to fall. These elements should be weeded out with speed so that Government is not accused of condoning acts of sabotage.
While we understand that every citizen has a right to be heard in a fair trial, we are of the view that at least the culprits fingered in the audit reports must be brought to their defence.
What is the process that Government uses to seek remedy? Government should use the audit reports to tighten its reporting, monitoring and evaluation systems. When the Auditor-General makes revelations the Government should immediately move to plug the loopholes so that subsequent audits do not pick the same anomalies.
Action is what we need if effective and efficient use of funds and other resources are to be applied as we implement the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation.
COMMENTS