Mpilo Central Hospital in another fresh cash scandal

Mpilo Central Hospital has been sucked in another fresh financial scandal after authorities secretly withdrew cash from the Bulawayo United Residents' Association (Bura) account.

The money was given to a hospital board member.

The money was allegedly withdrawn from an account they set up with Mpilo Central Hospital to build a perimeter wall.

Bura chairperson Winos Dube is quoted saying  $240 was withdrawn from the Mpilo perimeter wall project account on Friday last week.

The account has four signatories, Dube, secretary-general Samuel Moyo, suspended Mpilo chief executive officer Lawrence Mantiziba and financial director Charles Govo.

The arrangement was that no money would be withdrawn from the account without at least two people signing for it.

Dube, however, said he was shocked on Friday to receive a transaction notice on his mobile phone from the account indicating that the money had been paid to a Mpilo board member he could not disclose.

"I was surprised to see a message on my phone indicating that a transaction had been effected and I asked my colleague (Moyo) if he had done one and he denied," Dube said.

"We had an agreement with the bank that two signatures must be used from two individuals — one from hospital management and the second from residents. Had it not been for the new technology, the money could have been stolen for good without our knowledge."

Mpilo acting chief executive officer Leonard Mabandi confirmed the transaction, but said it had been explained to the Bura chairperson.

"This issue was explained to Dube and I think he is the one who should tell you about what exactly happened," Mabandi said.

However, Dube insisted that he was yet to get an explanation from Mpilo management because since the suspension of two signatories from Mpilo, they had not been advised of the new signatories.