via ‘Auditor-General’s Office fuelling rot at public enterprises’ February 19, 2014 by Veneranda Langa NewsDay
THE Audit Office Workers’ Union has blamed the Office of the Auditor-General for fuelling the current rot at public enterprises by failing to conduct regular spot checks.
Addressing delegates attending an anti-corruption discussion forum in Harare last Thursday, the union’s president Michael Makuchete said the Auditor-General was supposed to keep heads of parastatals under check through regular audits to avoid abuse of public resources.
“The Audit Office Act stipulates audits of government ministries, mainline and quasi-government institutions like parastatals and even local authorities rest with the Auditor General’s Office, but audit of local authorities was last done three years ago,” Makuchete said.
“Our main worry is that in the context of Salarygate, the Auditor-General Mildred Chiri was privy to those salaries, minutes of board meetings and accounting information, but she did not act even if she has been Auditor-General for the past 10 years,” he said.
Makuchete added: “This could point to inefficiency or corruption because audits are carried out yearly and generally. The buck stops with this office and it did not act. Auditing is a science and salary issues at ZBC, where workers went for months without pay, could have been detected by the AG’s Office. The Air Zimbabwe fraud could also have been highlighted by the Auditor-General’s Office, but it was private auditors who did it.”
“She (Chiri) should use the Audit Office Act to make heads of government institutions and parastatals hand over to her office books of accounts for auditing. We need an Auditor-General’s Office that has prosecuting powers like the South African situation. The Auditor-General should also be vastly experienced as a chartered accountant because this portfolio is very important because if not properly attended to, the country might bleed to death,” he said.
Makuchete said it was sad the Auditor-General’s Office no longer had clout as compared to the 1990s when it had teeth and corrupt officials resigned while some committed suicide for fear of arrest.
“We do not remember anyone who has gone to court in recent years because of these audit reports, and it means government must awaken as it has been compromised,” he said.
Chiri was unavailable for comment and at the time of going to print she had not responded to questions e-mailed to her.
COMMENTS
The Auditor General used to report some of these anomalies, but those with real power sat on these reports just like they sitting on the reports about the vices of Ignabtius Chombo. Nothing is done about Chombo because of kinsman ship.
So this workers union representative must stop blaming the AG for inaction. He must blame the President for not carrying his constitutional mandate
very correct. you know there was speculation that something would be done about these revelations of corrupt officials in parastatals. there was even speculation that it was a power game in zpf.
something interesting has not happened. people wont talk about ZIMRA boss. that guy must be earning millions per month, including his commissioners. but alas noneone dares say anything about them. maybe people are not aware ZIMRA is a parastatal. but this is where the tax payers money resides.
biti tried to fire ZIMRA boss and he failed because he has the support of the countries CEO.
you are truly right.
Just like everything else in Government party loyalty comes before the country and people are not appointed on merit. It is always about Zanu Pf first then the country. These people are just card waving Zanu Pf thugs who are incompetent to the bone. The buck stops with Mugabe because he makes all these appointments or approves them. Is the President doing anything right or has he? History will judge him harshly. Very sad.
The rot is exposed, but the buck stops with THE PRESIDENT
I agree that the head of any organisation is ultimately responsible so the President must be held responsible,however people of integrity will not go on gaily being paid for doing nothing so the Auditor General is also responsible. We again come back to the GNU and ask where were the MDC in all this. We know why ZPF have done nothing about this office but what about their partners. Many of them were definitely sleeping on the job or maybe they just weren’t up to the job. Imagine if they exposed all this rot when they were in power!!! Come on people its not about any particular leader or party it’s about having competent accountable people running our country for the benefit of all especially for our children & grandchildren.
I have been following reports produced by Auditor General. The Auditor General is competent, so far she has exposed a lot of corruption in Gvt, to say she fuels corruption is a bit extreme. The issue is the office is underfunded, it lacks capacity, not because Chiri is not capable but funding to conduct audits.Look at the salaries for this office its pathetic you cant lure quality personnel with relevant qualifications like ACCA, CA, CPA and CIS not recent graduates, but those with both integrity and audit skills earned in the industry. How can someone with just a first degree earning $400.00 go and investigate someone earning 230,000 per month. Ask the AG if there is money to conduct audits, when did they lask get there T & S allowances even for last year trips
On the contrary Mapingire, the Comptroller & Auditor General’s Office actually charges fees for audits performed on Parastatals. They receive direct payments into their coffers. That makes this office a Revenue Centre. The right question to ask yourself therefore is: where is this money going? Maybe this office needs to be audited more than Zimra or PSMAS, or MMCZ or Dead BC. How much is the Commanding General Auditor taking home? What allowances? Total Earnings Per Annum? And the Leutenant General Auditors? This is another army of armies. Even Napoleon Bonnapat would borrow notes on false defence!
The situation at the Auditor General’s office suits Mugabe perfectly well. This office must be lead by party officials to protect party officials
THIS GUY CALLED MAKUCHETE, IS A NON PERFORMER, IF YOU CHECK THE REPORTS FROM THE AUDITOR GENERAL SHE HAS HIGHLIGHTED MOST OF THE PROBLEMS IN PARASTATALS BUT NOTHING WAS DONE BY THE RELEVANT MINISTRIES. I REMEMBER SHE ONCE REQUESTED THE THEN GOVERNOR OF THE RESERVE BANK TO BRING FORTH THE LISTING OF INDIVIDUALS WHO BENEFITS FROM THE GOVERNOR”S VEHICLE ILLEGAL SCHEMES SHE WAS NOT GIVEN. SHE REPORTED TO THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES, BUT NOTHING WAS DONE. MAKUCHETE WAS NEVER A COMPETENT AUDITOR I KNOW HIM WHEN I WAS IN THE OFFICE. HE KNOWS HOW TO DRINK AND DEMAND BENEFIT. HE IS A DISGRACE THE AUDIT FRATERNETY. I KNOW THIS GUY TO HAVE BEEN FIRED FOR MISBEHAVING.
The buck should stop with Mariyawanda Nzuwa, Civil Service Commissioners, the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet who sign off the appointments of senior government officials. Incompetence is rife in the public service and quasi-government institutions. All these decision makers have overstayed and removing them will unearth huge collusion, cover-ups and corruption of huge proportions. I hope that more revelations are made progressively at every level and that the media leaves no stone unturned. There should be no sacred cows in Zimbabwe. Everyone guilty of corruption of fleecing the public purse should be brought before the courts to answer for their individual or collective actions.
Zanu has been a failure for the past 34 years. The MCC’s were totaly Zanufied in the past 5 years.I only remember Mangoma as the only one exposing the nonpayment of electricity bills by Mugabe and his cronies. He was in trouble then,look what’s happening to him now.
I will state it again we need the coalition of the Patriots.
There is a call for Strive to lead, brilliant.
We need a total paradigm shift,no more of these Zanufied individuals please.
They are a whole bunch of lunatic s.
The AG office is not paying enough to make its employees see the importance of their duties.Moreover, AG office is full of incompetent mismatching employees,not skilled enough to do the job.This includes you Makuchete , remember you were ZANU PF student chairman at UZ in 2000.You were doing Political science but now I wonder what you are auditing at the AG .So your whole system is rotten.Those who do not know Makuchete will think someone in the office means business.Its a daily propaganda.CIO s are full in the AG office.Instead of carrying out audits, which they do not know, they seek bribes and threaten some officials who try to be at least professional.If I lie tell the people Makuchete.