via Air force, army snub government auditor New Zimbabwe 14/10/2014
ZIMBABWE’S military has consistently snubbed requests to declare their assets for routine audits as required by the law, according to Auditor General Mildred Chisi.
In her 2012 audit report presented before parliament last month, Chisi said the defence ministry has for years refused her access to “compare departmental assets” which exposes them to theft.
“Treasury Instruction in 2004, states that the accounting officer should submit a certificate to show that assets have been physically compared against records, no later than two months after the close of each financial year,” Chisi said.
“However, the ministry submitted a departmental assets certificate that did not include assets from the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air Force of Zimbabwe. I raised this issue in my 2011 report but it persisted into the year 2012. Therefore I was not able to authenticate that assets had been properly accounted for.”
She added: “Failure to physically compare departmental assets against records might result in the ministry not being accountable for its assets thereby exposing them to theft or loss.”
The country’s army has in the past participated in foreign military ventures including in the DRC war in the late 1990s. But the army’s operations in that country have remained highly secretive away from the scrutiny of external authorities.
Chiri said management at the defence ministry had “noted the observation” and gave an undertaking that this will be corrected and “all departments will be included in the 2013 departmental assets certificate”.
She also complained that the military was “breaching a treasury instruction 1505” which stipulates that no advances should be made to an officer until advances made in previous months have been accounted for and any outstanding balances should be deducted from the salary until the advance is cleared.
“Contrary to this officers were given multiple advances. Some officers had been issued with up to nine advances which amounted to $14 959. Clearance of such advances would be difficult if numerous advances are issued to officers before previous ones are cleared,” said Chiri.
In trying to explain the situation the ministry is said to have claimed government’s failure to pay salaries in the period prior and during the inclusive government had worsened the situation.
“It is important to note that for the past years, the Salary Services Bureau (SSB) and Zimbabwe Army Pay and Records could not deduct anything from employees since they were earning allowances.
“However due to improvement in earnings, measures have already been put in place to deduct outstanding advances from members’ salaries,” the statement said.
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Abaiwa ngabude
Imagine that. The army takes money from the people they are meant to protect – their own poor people and when the people say “What did you spend it on?” they refuse to answer!
The military is a cornerstone of the criminal conspiracy that holds power in Zimbabwe, there is no chance of them being open in any way about their finances.